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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — there
  3. board — to get on
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — what's left
  6. march — the month
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — a hint
  9. board — a committee
  10. present — the time now
  11. cue — for pool
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. game — a match
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a document
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rest — a break
  24. game — wild animals

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