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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. row — to paddle
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. firm — a company
  7. file — a line of people
  8. row — a line
  9. firm — decided
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ground — a position
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. firm — steady
  14. ground — crushed
  15. rule — a law
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rule — government
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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