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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. chip — to eat
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — completely
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. chip — for betting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. file — a tool
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rash — hasty
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. file — a line of people
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rash — a series
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rash — on the skin

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