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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a document
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. roll — a list
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. perch — the fish
  10. board — to get on
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. file — a line of people
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. roll — a cake
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. file — a tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rock — music
  24. safe — out of danger

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