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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: mouse · pass · safe · march · mine · jam · file · fork

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. march — the month
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mine — for digging
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — in a road
  23. march — the month
  24. pass — to spend time

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