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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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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: rash · racket · file · object · chip · bay · stand · mine

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chip — for betting
  3. object — a thing
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. file — a line of people
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a document
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rash — hasty
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — a series
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bay — a horse colour

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