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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. file — a line of people
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of a king
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. file — a document
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. court — for sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. board — a committee
  16. court — of law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lean — thin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fork — in a road
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — government
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. rule — a law

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