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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. file — a document
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. file — a tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — a tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — to eat
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. band — a music group
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. band — a ring
  22. kick — in football
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. plane — in geometry

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