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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 · ground · race · mate · pass · fine · stem · march

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. march — music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — a permit
  12. race — a contest
  13. march — the month
  14. stem — to come from
  15. race — humankind
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. race — the arms race
  19. march — the month
  20. fine — all right
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — the earth

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