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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.

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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: rash · present · saw · board · pitcher · leaves · chip · file

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. saw — the tool
  3. present — a gift
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — to get on
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — for betting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. file — a tool
  24. chip — to eat

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