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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 · pass · capital · wound · fork · trunk · cue · board

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. file — a line of people
  4. capital — money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. file — a document
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. board — to get on
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. capital — a big letter

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