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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chip — for betting
  6. chip — to eat
  7. board — a committee
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. board — to get on
  11. file — a tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. branch — a division
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. file — a line of people
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bowl — a dish

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