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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. charge — electricity
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chip — for betting
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. charge — a price
  12. rock — a stone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. chip — to eat
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. file — a document
  17. last — finally
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. row — to paddle
  23. row — a line
  24. rock — music

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