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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. charge — a price
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — for catching
  5. mug — to rob
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pass — a permit
  9. file — a tool
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — electricity
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. file — a document
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. mug — a face
  22. rule — government
  23. charge — in control
  24. field — a subject

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com