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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · march · game · toast · hide · jam · ground · staff

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ground — a position
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — the earth
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. march — the month
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. march — the month
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. game — wild animals
  12. staff — a stick
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a document
  15. toast — bread
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. march — music
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. file — a line of people
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. file — a tool
  24. staff — employees

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