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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a document
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mug — to rob
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chip — to eat
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. mate — to breed
  16. net — for catching
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. mug — a face
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chip — for betting

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