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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: file · pass · tube · foot · cap · date · mate · craft

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. file — a tool
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mate — to breed
  6. tube — a container
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. mate — a friend
  12. foot — a measure
  13. file — a document
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cap — a hat
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pass — a permit
  21. date — the fruit
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — a partner
  24. foot — the bottom

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