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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. chip — for betting
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. file — a tool
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ball — a dance
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chip — to eat
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ball — a great time
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. ball — a round shape

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