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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: mug · file · spell · rock · racket · rule · field · chip

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rule — government
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rule — a law
  9. spell — magic
  10. chip — for betting
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — for sport
  13. spell — letters
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mug — to rob
  17. field — a subject
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. field — farmland
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mug — a face

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