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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. firm — decided
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. staff — a stick
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. file — a tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. staff — employees
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — clever
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  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