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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — for betting
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — high quality
  13. fine — all right
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a tool
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fine — a penalty

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