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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — of law
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. court — of a king
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — the time now
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — clever
  16. file — a document
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. present — there
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. file — a tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. pop — music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pop — soda

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