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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. staff — employees
  3. roll — a list
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. staff — employees
  6. board — a committee
  7. mine — for digging
  8. tube — a container
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. file — a document
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. staff — a stick
  14. roll — a cake
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a tool
  17. board — to get on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — the underground
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — in cards

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