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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — to eat
  5. chip — for betting
  6. track — to keep track
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. file — a tool
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rash — a series
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. file — a document
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. track — a song

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