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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. toast — bread
  3. board — a committee
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — army training
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. drill — a practice
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. drill — the tool
  12. file — a tool
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. chip — for betting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. fall — the season
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chip — to eat
  24. file — a line of people

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