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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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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: ball · mate · suit · perch · rule · chip · snap · file

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. snap — to click
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. suit — clothes
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chip — to eat
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. perch — the fish
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rule — a law
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ball — a great time
  20. file — a document
  21. ball — a dance
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. suit — to fit
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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