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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a document
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. game — wild animals
  10. deal — to handle
  11. file — a tool
  12. mate — a partner
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. key — in music
  15. chip — for betting
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — a match
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. chip — to eat
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. firm — a company
  23. lie — to recline
  24. key — for a lock

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