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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pop — music
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — soda
  8. file — a line of people
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tube — a container
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — a law
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. file — a document
  23. tube — the underground
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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