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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: content · fine · march · pit · file · chair · stand · last

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — to go on
  7. content — happy
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pit — a hole
  10. chair — a leader
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fine — high quality
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. content — the amount
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — final
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. file — a tool
  24. last — finally

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