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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. board — to get on
  7. file — a tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. deal — to handle
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a committee
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. file — a line of people
  15. file — a document
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pound — a weight

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