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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. board — to get on
  4. file — a tool
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. scale — size or range
  8. land — a country
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. file — a line of people
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. board — a committee
  17. squash — to crush
  18. chair — a leader
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. squash — the sport
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. scale — in music
  24. fan — a supporter

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