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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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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: rush · file · board · jam · kick · chair · pass · pit

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pit — a hole
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. pass — a permit
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. file — a tool
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to succeed

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