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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 120 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: board · can · land · file · club · chest · suit · racket

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. chest — of your body
  3. file — a document
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — clothes
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. can — a tin
  9. suit — in cards
  10. file — a line of people
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — to come down
  13. club — for dancing
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. file — a tool
  17. board — a committee
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. chest — a box
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. land — a country
  24. racket — a loud noise

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