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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: file · mark · board · mouse · root · arm · safe · pound

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. file — a line of people
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. root — of a word
  13. mark — a trace
  14. file — a document
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a plant
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pound — a weight
  22. root — the cause
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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