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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. file — a document
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a line of people
  5. craft — boats
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chair — a leader
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. drill — army training
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. drill — the tool
  20. craft — a skill
  21. charge — a price
  22. file — a tool
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chip — to eat

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