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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pop — soda
  4. file — a tool
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rule — a law
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rule — government
  15. board — a committee
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pop — music
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. file — a document
  24. row — to paddle

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