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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — in music
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to confront
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. face — to point toward
  19. file — a document
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — hurry
  22. prune — to trim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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