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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stand — to bear
  6. chip — for betting
  7. charge — in control
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bark — to shout
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — a price
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. hand — help
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hand — in cards
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. prune — to trim

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