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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: pitcher · suit · file · chest · fine · stick · pass · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — all right
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chest — of your body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. file — a line of people
  24. chest — a box

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