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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · capital · roll · rush · file · fall · bear · chip

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. file — a line of people
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — the month
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. march — the month
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fall — to drop
  11. file — a document
  12. march — music
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. capital — a city
  16. bear — the animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. file — a tool
  19. capital — money
  20. fall — the season
  21. bear — the animal
  22. roll — a cake
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fall — to drop

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