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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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. object — to protest
  4. bound — certain
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — government
  7. bark — to shout
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. bound — tied together
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — of law
  13. object — an aim
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. object — a thing
  16. file — a tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. court — of a king
  19. file — a line of people
  20. court — for sport
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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