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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. march — the month
  8. pass — a permit
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. net — after costs
  12. march — music
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — for catching
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a document
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. march — the month
  23. file — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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