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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. field — for sport
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. file — a document
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — farmland
  10. staff — employees
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. file — a line of people
  13. staff — a stick
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pass — a permit
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. file — a tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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