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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. cue — for pool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. spring — of water
  11. last — final
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rule — government
  14. cue — a signal
  15. rule — a law
  16. rock — music
  17. cue — a hint
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. board — to get on
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a document
  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