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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. present — there
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. file — a tool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — to get on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — a grade
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — a gift
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. mark — a trace
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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