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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
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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: sharp · pop · fine · rule · leaves · chair · march · file

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. sharp — clever
  4. file — a tool
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rule — government
  8. fine — high quality
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — to visit
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. file — a document
  16. pop — soda
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — music
  20. pop — music
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — a law
  24. chair — a leader

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