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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. suit — in cards
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — to crush
  6. file — a document
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chip — for betting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. file — a line of people
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. root — of a word
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chip — to eat
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — to fit
  24. root — of a plant

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