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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — a signal
  4. chip — for betting
  5. cue — a hint
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. chip — to eat
  10. file — a line of people
  11. march — the month
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cold — not warm
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. file — a tool
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. march — music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. march — the month

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