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

Word bank: pass · club · file · snap · season · mark · rock · firm

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. firm — a company
  3. club — for golf
  4. snap — to click
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — a permit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. firm — steady
  12. file — a document
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — decided
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. file — a line of people
  20. club — for dancing
  21. rock — music
  22. club — a group
  23. file — a tool
  24. season — of the year

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