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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. track — a path
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. file — a document
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. track — a song
  9. file — a tool
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — to keep track
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — electricity
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mine — for digging
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — a committee
  24. patient — a sick person

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