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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 116 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rock — music
  4. file — a document
  5. mate — a friend
  6. squash — the sport
  7. file — a tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. scale — size or range
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rock — a stone
  16. staff — employees
  17. chip — for betting
  18. staff — a stick
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — in music
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — to breed
  24. squash — to crush

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