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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. mug — to rob
  3. file — a line of people
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. scale — in music
  6. file — a tool
  7. row — a line
  8. chest — of your body
  9. board — to get on
  10. mug — a face
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chest — a box
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. mug — a cup
  19. scale — size or range
  20. row — to paddle
  21. file — a document
  22. chest — of your body
  23. board — a committee
  24. leaves — of a tree

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