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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — employees
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. file — a line of people
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. chip — to eat
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — a gift
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. capital — a city
  18. staff — employees
  19. present — there
  20. deal — to handle
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. staff — a stick
  23. capital — money
  24. deal — an agreement

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