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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. present — the time now
  3. file — a line of people
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. court — of a king
  7. chest — a box
  8. present — there
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. scale — size or range
  11. file — a document
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. court — for sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. present — a gift
  18. chest — of your body
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a tool
  21. court — of law
  22. chest — of your body
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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