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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. file — a line of people
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. march — the month
  8. cell — a phone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. march — music
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. file — a tool
  14. march — the month
  15. file — a document
  16. key — the most important part
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. key — in music
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cell — in biology
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. key — for a lock

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