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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. file — a tool
  3. board — a committee
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. key — for a lock
  8. season — in sport
  9. file — a document
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — the most important part
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. file — a line of people
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cue — a signal

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