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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: season · file · plane · pass · rule · pitch · bound · cold

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. rule — government
  3. file — a document
  4. season — in sport
  5. file — a line of people
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. season — of the year
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. cold — not warm
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. cold — an illness
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rule — a law
  19. bound — obliged
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. file — a tool
  23. bound — certain
  24. pass — a permit

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