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

Word bank: file · trunk · row · stem · ball · pass · rest · chip

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — a permit
  3. file — a tool
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. chip — for betting
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. file — a line of people
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. rest — what's left
  20. stem — to come from
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rest — what's left
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rest — a break

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