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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: suit · race · ruler · file · chip · tube · chair · charge

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. charge — a price
  4. tube — a container
  5. race — a contest
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chip — for betting
  8. suit — in cards
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. file — a document
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. charge — electricity
  15. chip — to eat
  16. file — a line of people
  17. race — humankind
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. suit — to fit
  24. charge — in control

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