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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: mug · straw · file · pitch · mine · pass · staff · ruler

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. staff — employees
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. file — a document
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a tool
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mug — a face
  21. file — a line of people
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitch — completely

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