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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — for betting
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. pitch — completely
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. capital — money
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chip — to eat
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fall — to drop
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — to get on
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. file — a document

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