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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 120 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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. file — a tool
  4. capital — a city
  5. chest — of your body
  6. court — of a king
  7. staff — employees
  8. chest — of your body
  9. capital — money
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. staff — a stick
  12. court — of law
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. chest — a box
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. pass — a permit
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. file — a line of people
  20. court — for sport
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bat — the animal
  24. deal — to handle

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