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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: chip · rule · mate · spell · safe · date · court · file

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — for sport
  3. spell — a short time
  4. file — a tool
  5. spell — magic
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chip — for betting
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spell — letters
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rule — government
  18. court — of law
  19. rule — a law
  20. court — of a king
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. file — a document

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