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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: net · file · lean · can · rush · chip · field · pass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a line of people
  3. can — a tin
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. chip — to eat
  10. lean — to bend
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. file — a document
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. net — for catching
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — farmland
  20. lean — thin
  21. file — a tool
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pass — to spend time

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