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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. land — a country
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. land — to come down
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rule — a law
  10. file — a tool
  11. key — in music
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — ground
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rule — government
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. file — a line of people
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — a match

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