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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. file — a document
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bank — of a river
  7. game — a match
  8. object — to protest
  9. chip — to eat
  10. bank — for money
  11. object — a thing
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rule — a law
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. chip — for betting
  18. game — wild animals
  19. face — to point toward
  20. object — an aim
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. face — part of the head

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