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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 120 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. club — a group
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — to get on
  6. ground — a position
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. press — newspapers
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. club — for golf
  13. board — a committee
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. file — a document
  17. object — to protest
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — in a road
  24. object — a thing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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