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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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468
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: pass · fork · cabinet · file · last · bat · prune · game

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. last — to go on
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. game — a match
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a tool
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — wild animals
  18. last — finally
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pass — a permit
  23. last — final
  24. prune — the fruit

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