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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. file — a line of people
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. race — a contest
  13. board — a committee
  14. spell — letters
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. spell — magic
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. race — the arms race
  22. spell — a short time
  23. race — humankind
  24. vault — a safe

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