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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: spring · board · game · row · jam · leaves · file · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — of water
  10. file — a tool
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. board — a committee
  14. row — a line
  15. game — a match
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spring — a coil
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — wild animals

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