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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 116 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 · mug · rest · firm · net · pass · court · bay

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. firm — a company
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rest — a break
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. court — of law
  9. pass — a permit
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — for sport
  12. firm — steady
  13. net — for catching
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. mug — a cup
  16. file — a line of people
  17. net — after costs
  18. rest — what's left
  19. file — a document
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mug — a face
  22. court — of a king
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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