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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 · rule · rest · chair · march · sharp · pitcher · mouse

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. march — the month
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — the month
  15. rule — government
  16. march — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. file — a document
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. file — a line of people
  22. rest — what's left
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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