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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. ball — a dance
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. file — a tool
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a great time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. rule — government
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — a law
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. ground — crushed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ground — a position
  21. board — to get on
  22. ground — the earth
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. leaves — lets stay

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