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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: object · leaves · saw · board · file · key · roll · pitcher

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. roll — a list
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. roll — a cake
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. file — a document
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — in music
  15. file — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. object — a thing
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. key — the most important part
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. key — for a lock
  24. roll — on a roll

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