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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fork — in a road
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. file — a line of people
  8. band — a ring
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. file — a tool
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pass — a permit
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. band — a music group
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — to get on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chair — a leader
  24. board — a committee

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