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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. object — a thing
  3. cap — of ice
  4. board — a committee
  5. file — a line of people
  6. content — happy
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mug — a face
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — a lid
  13. object — to protest
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a document
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bass — the fish
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bass — low music
  24. mug — to rob

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