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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: board · rush · bark · cue · current · mate · file · pass

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. current — electric
  12. file — a tool
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pass — a permit
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cue — a hint
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. file — a line of people

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