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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. file — a document
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. file — a tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. chair — a leader
  13. track — a song
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. board — to get on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. file — a line of people
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. root — of a word
  21. kid — child
  22. root — the cause
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. root — of a plant

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