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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — a path
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rush — hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bat — the animal
  14. file — a document
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. track — a song
  19. file — a tool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bat — for baseball

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