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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. court — of a king
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. court — of law
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rule — government
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — for betting
  15. track — a song
  16. chip — to eat
  17. file — a tool
  18. court — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. rule — a law
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. file — a line of people

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