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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mate — a partner
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mate — a friend
  5. file — a line of people
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — all right
  10. chip — to eat
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mate — to breed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — what's left
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rest — a break
  19. file — a document
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — to handle
  23. file — a tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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