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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 116 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: race · mouse · file · chair · mate · cabinet · can · board

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. race — humankind
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. board — to get on
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. file — a tool
  8. race — a contest
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mate — a partner
  14. board — a committee
  15. mate — a friend
  16. can — a tin
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. file — a document
  24. chair — a leader

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