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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chair — a leader
  3. row — to paddle
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. deal — to handle
  6. branch — a division
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. firm — a company
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. board — a committee
  18. file — a document
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. board — to get on
  22. bass — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. branch — of a bank

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