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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. file — a document
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — help
  5. track — a song
  6. hand — in cards
  7. board — to get on
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. court — for sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — a committee
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. file — a tool
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — of law
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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