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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. spring — of water
  3. file — a line of people
  4. swing — music
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. bank — for money
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — for sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. field — farmland
  19. spring — a coil
  20. content — the amount
  21. field — a subject
  22. swing — in golf
  23. last — final
  24. bank — of a river

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