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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. can — a tin
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. file — a tool
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. can — a tin
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — for betting
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a line of people
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stand — for spectators

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