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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a line of people
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bat — the animal
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. race — a contest
  12. perch — the fish
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. race — humankind
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. net — in sport
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. coach — a trainer

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