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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — to get on
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — to bear
  9. file — a document
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rash — hasty
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — a committee
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — a trainer

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