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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a song
  3. file — a tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. current — electric
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. staff — a stick
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. staff — employees
  16. track — a path
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — a series
  19. current — of water
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fork — in a road
  22. staff — employees
  23. current — happening now
  24. chip — to eat

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