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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fine — all right
  3. staff — employees
  4. file — a document
  5. fine — high quality
  6. spring — of water
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. file — a tool
  11. spring — a coil
  12. date — the fruit
  13. vault — a safe
  14. roll — a cake
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — the season
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. roll — a list
  24. vault — in gymnastics

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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