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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 124 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — a country
  3. file — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. court — for sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. court — of law
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of a king
  16. land — to come down
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. land — ground
  24. rush — hurry

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