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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — to eat
  5. root — the cause
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. chip — for betting
  8. file — a document
  9. clip — a video
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — of a word
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. clip — for paper
  16. root — of a plant
  17. mug — a cup
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mug — a face
  21. foot — a measure
  22. court — for sport
  23. clip — to cut
  24. foot — the bottom

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