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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 120 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: pass · net · present · field · object · sharp · file · bound

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. object — a thing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. present — there
  5. pass — a permit
  6. present — the time now
  7. field — a subject
  8. present — a gift
  9. sharp — clever
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — in sport
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. bound — certain
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. file — a document
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. bound — tied together
  20. file — a tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. bound — obliged
  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