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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. file — a document
  3. root — the cause
  4. cue — for pool
  5. charge — a price
  6. court — for sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. file — a line of people
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — a signal
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a word
  22. charge — in control
  23. court — of a king
  24. bat — the animal

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