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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.

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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: court · bay · ball · chip · file · firm · present · hide

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. chip — for betting
  4. court — for sport
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — decided
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. chip — to eat
  14. court — of law
  15. ball — a great time
  16. firm — a company
  17. firm — steady
  18. court — of a king
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. present — there
  22. present — the time now
  23. present — a gift
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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