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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — to keep track
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wind — moving air
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. file — a tool
  15. bat — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. track — a song
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. board — to get on
  23. track — a path
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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