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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: lean · bay · chip · cell · file · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. lean — thin
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. cell — in biology
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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