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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — to eat
  5. degree — temperature
  6. scale — size or range
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. degree — an amount
  12. season — in sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. file — a tool
  16. season — of the year
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. degree — from a university
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a committee
  22. scale — in music
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. chip — for betting

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