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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. club — a group
  3. board — a committee
  4. rule — a law
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. vault — a safe
  7. file — a line of people
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. rule — government
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — to shout
  12. file — a document
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. toast — bread
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — to get on
  24. temple — side of the head

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