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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 120 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. suit — clothes
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. suit — in cards
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. dip — to sink
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. rash — hasty
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — for digging
  21. deal — to handle
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mine — belonging to me

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