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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. row — a line
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — to grow
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. file — a line of people
  17. band — a ring
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rule — a law

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