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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. scale — in music
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pass — a permit
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a line of people
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. scale — size or range
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fork — in a road
  23. board — to get on
  24. jam — a tight spot

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