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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.

Make a worksheet

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: file · rash · wind · staff · coach · pit · ground · roll

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. rash — a series
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. ground — crushed
  20. staff — a stick
  21. file — a document
  22. roll — a list
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rash — on the skin

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