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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · chip · racket · file · ruler · staff

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a document
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. date — the fruit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. staff — a stick
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar

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