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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · date · board · scale · file · chest · press · club

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. spell — letters
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — newspapers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — of your body
  9. press — to push
  10. board — a committee
  11. file — a document
  12. date — the fruit
  13. scale — size or range
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spell — a short time
  16. scale — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. press — a publisher
  20. spell — magic
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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