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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 120 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: march · net · lie · pit · ruler · racket · file · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. net — after costs
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. file — a tool
  6. pit — a hole
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — to recline
  15. file — a document
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. file — a line of people

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