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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: chip · bay · file · stand · pit · saw · date · snap

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. date — the fruit
  3. pit — in a race
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stand — to bear
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chip — for betting
  13. snap — to click
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. file — a document
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. file — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — a hole

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