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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chip — for betting
  3. charge — electricity
  4. file — a tool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. charge — a price
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mug — a face
  15. chest — a box
  16. file — a document
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pop — music
  21. chest — of your body
  22. charge — in control
  23. chip — to eat
  24. branch — a division

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