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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a tool
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chip — to eat
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — to handle
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chip — for betting
  10. file — a document
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. deal — an agreement

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