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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. can — a tin
  9. club — a group
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. club — for golf
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. rule — a law
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rule — government
  17. can — to be able to
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — hasty
  24. club — for dancing

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