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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: pass · saw · fork · file · march · pop · ruler · mine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. march — music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pop — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. march — the month
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pop — soda
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. saw — the tool
  23. file — a document
  24. saw — the tool

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