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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
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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 · bat · fine · spell · file · mug · fan · staff

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. file — a tool
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. board — to get on
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — to rob
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — employees
  13. mug — a face
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. staff — employees
  16. fine — all right
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spell — letters
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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