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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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ball — a dance
  7. file — a tool
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. charge — a price
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. file — a document
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. charge — in control
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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