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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. can — to be able to
  3. chair — a leader
  4. board — to get on
  5. file — a document
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. file — a tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. cue — a hint
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. craft — a skill
  12. can — a tin
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. cue — for pool
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cue — a signal
  23. craft — boats
  24. board — a committee

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