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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a document
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. file — a tool
  11. pound — a weight
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. file — a line of people
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wind — moving air
  24. racket — for tennis

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