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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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 tool
  3. firm — decided
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. firm — a company
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a document
  14. firm — steady
  15. content — the amount
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — to eat
  19. content — happy
  20. bat — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bear — to put up with

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