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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. foot — a measure
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. file — a tool
  18. chip — for betting

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