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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spring — the season
  8. row — to paddle
  9. file — a document
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — completely
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. board — to get on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mark — a grade
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a tool
  21. spring — of water
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — to pay attention

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