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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 owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. chip — for betting
  3. deal — to handle
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. file — a tool
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mark — a grade
  12. file — a document
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rule — government
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. chip — to eat
  22. rule — a law
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. file — a line of people

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