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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. rest — a break
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. file — a tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. file — a document
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fine — high quality
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fine — all right
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. court — for sport
  24. fine — a penalty

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