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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — decided
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. firm — steady
  14. mate — a partner
  15. board — to get on
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — a company
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — a friend
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ruler — for measuring

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