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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
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 · field · ruler · chest · pass · mouse · degree · season

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. season — of the year
  3. file — a tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. file — a document
  9. field — farmland
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. field — a subject
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chest — of your body
  14. degree — temperature
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — in sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. chest — a box
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. degree — from a university
  23. file — a line of people
  24. mouse — for a computer

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