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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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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: swing · can · ground · file · fall · pit · cap · chest

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chest — of your body
  4. file — a document
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cap — of ice
  7. fall — the season
  8. ground — a position
  9. can — a tin
  10. swing — music
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pit — in a race
  13. file — a tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. ground — crushed
  19. chest — a box
  20. file — a line of people
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — of your body

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