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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — to eat
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rest — what's left
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bear — the animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. squash — to crush
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chip — for betting

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