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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 116 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: deal · spring · bowl · chip · mark · land · pass · file

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. spring — a coil
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. spring — the season
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — a country
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pass — a permit
  21. land — ground
  22. chip — to eat
  23. land — to come down
  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