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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. last — finally
  3. board — a committee
  4. key — in music
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. prune — to trim
  7. file — a document
  8. last — to go on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a tool
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — final
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. key — the most important part
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bank — for money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bank — for money
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bank — of a river
  23. board — to get on
  24. rush — a thrill

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