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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — a lid
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. present — there
  5. drill — army training
  6. present — the time now
  7. board — to get on
  8. spring — of water
  9. board — a committee
  10. file — a document
  11. content — happy
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cue — for pool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. drill — the tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. spring — a coil
  18. present — a gift
  19. cue — a hint
  20. content — the amount
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. board — a flat piece

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