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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. file — a document
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a great time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. ball — a dance
  14. rule — a law
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. roll — a list
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. roll — a cake

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