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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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. file — a line of people
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stand — to bear
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. file — a tool
  9. chip — for betting
  10. key — in music
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. court — of a king
  13. key — the most important part
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hand — help
  16. chip — to eat
  17. season — of the year
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. court — of law
  24. hand — part of the body

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