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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.

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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 · object · rush · bark · file · fall · scale · land

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. object — a thing
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fall — the season
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. object — to protest
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. file — a tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bark — to shout
  21. object — an aim
  22. land — a country
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. file — a document

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