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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.

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: mouse · file · cabinet · court · chip · lean · game · bear

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. chip — to eat
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a document
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. file — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. court — of law
  17. bear — the animal
  18. lean — thin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. court — of a king
  21. game — a match
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chip — for betting
  24. mouse — for a computer

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