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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 116 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pit — in a race
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a document
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chip — for betting
  9. cue — a signal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. chip — to eat
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — a publisher
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tear — from crying
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. tear — to rip
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cue — a hint

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