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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: deal · file · mate · key · pit · rush

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. rush — hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. mate — to breed
  5. key — in music
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pit — in a race
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a document
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. file — a line of people
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. key — the most important part
  14. deal — to handle
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mate — a partner

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