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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. file — a document
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chip — for betting
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — a law

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