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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: saw · pass · file · rock · track · wind · key · degree

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a tool
  4. degree — an amount
  5. saw — the tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. degree — temperature
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a document
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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