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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spell — magic
  4. chair — a leader
  5. file — a document
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. board — to get on
  11. file — a tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. spell — letters
  22. key — for a lock
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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