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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. tear — from crying
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chip — to eat
  6. swing — in golf
  7. firm — steady
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stock — goods
  10. tear — from crying
  11. swing — music
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. file — a line of people
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. stock — shares
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. chip — for betting
  21. tear — to rip
  22. file — a tool
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stock — a soup base

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