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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: chip · march · stick · rule · mouse · craft · file · pop

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. rule — government
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a document
  6. chip — to eat
  7. craft — boats
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. march — the month
  15. march — the month
  16. pop — soda
  17. march — music
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — for betting
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rule — to rule out
  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