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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. band — a ring
  4. file — a document
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. file — a line of people
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. drill — army training
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. band — a music group
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. net — in sport

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