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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. roll — a list
  7. scale — size or range
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pit — a hole
  13. board — to get on
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a dance
  16. file — a tool
  17. scale — in music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ball — a great time

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