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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: file · craft · field · mate · bore · bulb · pass · mug

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. mate — to breed
  3. file — a tool
  4. mate — a friend
  5. pass — a permit
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — boats
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mug — a cup
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a document
  18. mug — a face
  19. field — farmland
  20. bore — to tire
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pass — to succeed

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