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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: kick · perch · pass · file · date · bay · chair · field

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. file — a document
  5. kick — in football
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. file — a line of people
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. field — farmland
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — the fruit
  20. chair — a leader
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. field — a subject

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