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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · bass · object · file · date · board · hide · rule

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. object — an aim
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. object — to protest
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a tool
  7. bass — the fish
  8. file — a line of people
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — to get on
  13. cap — a hat
  14. date — the fruit
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rule — a law
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — low music
  22. cap — of ice
  23. board — a committee
  24. rule — government

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