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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: game · roll · perch · jam · stand · pass · lean · file

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a document
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — to bear
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — a permit
  24. perch — for a bird

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