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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. chair — a leader
  3. scale — size or range
  4. board — a committee
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. file — a document
  8. chip — to eat
  9. scale — in music
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. file — a line of people
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. object — a thing
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — a weight
  17. file — a tool
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. board — to get on
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. chip — for betting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — an aim
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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