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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rock — music
  6. present — there
  7. track — a path
  8. court — of a king
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chip — to eat
  13. track — a song
  14. present — a gift
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. file — a tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. chip — for betting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rock — a stone

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