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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. file — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — all right
  9. cap — a hat
  10. file — a document
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cap — of ice
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. file — a line of people
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. cap — a lid
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stand — on your feet

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