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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
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: last · season · firm · pass · swing · pit · file · land

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a tool
  3. firm — steady
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — finally
  8. land — to come down
  9. swing — in golf
  10. file — a document
  11. last — final
  12. season — in sport
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. firm — a company
  16. pit — in a race
  17. firm — decided
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. land — ground
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. land — a country
  23. last — to go on
  24. season — of the year

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