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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. court — of a king
  5. craft — a skill
  6. craft — boats
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. cue — a hint
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. file — a document
  12. bear — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. court — of law
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. court — for sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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