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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 · file · jam · stick · bark · race · cabinet · chair

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. race — humankind
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. file — a tool
  12. race — the arms race
  13. chair — a leader
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. race — a contest
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. file — a line of people

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