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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. pit — a hole
  2. band — a music group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. band — a ring
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. file — a tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. board — to get on
  13. file — a document
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — to recline
  23. racket — for tennis
  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