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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. season — of the year
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. board — a committee
  9. file — a tool
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. season — in sport
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — a series
  17. wound — an injury
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. file — a line of people
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. rash — hasty
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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