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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 116 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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bass — the fish
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. board — to get on
  9. kid — to tease
  10. suit — clothes
  11. kid — child
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bass — low music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. perch — the fish
  18. season — in sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a tool
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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