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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. root — of a word
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a committee
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — after costs
  13. land — a country
  14. net — for catching
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — a break
  24. net — in sport

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