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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. rest — a break
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. file — a tool
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rest — what's left
  8. file — a line of people
  9. ball — a great time
  10. file — a document
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. 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