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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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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 · chest · pit · plane · cue · pass · nail

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. file — a document
  4. march — the month
  5. file — a tool
  6. chest — of your body
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — for pool
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cue — a signal
  22. chest — a box
  23. file — a line of people
  24. nail — for a hammer

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