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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: wake · rush · cabinet · pass · firm · race · file · field

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. firm — decided
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. file — a tool
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. rush — hurry
  10. race — humankind
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. wake — a trail
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a document
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — a subject
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. firm — a company
  24. cabinet — ministers

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