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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: file · capital · rest · cue · leaves · nail · chip · rock

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. chip — to eat
  3. chip — for betting
  4. capital — money
  5. file — a tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — a stone
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — a hint
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. file — a line of people
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. rock — music
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a signal
  21. capital — a city
  22. file — a document
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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