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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. file — a tool
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — low music
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rest — a break
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — the fish
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. rest — what's left
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. spring — of water
  21. craft — boats
  22. file — a line of people
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. rest — what's left

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