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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. staff — employees
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — a stick
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. staff — employees
  23. board — a committee
  24. nail — on a finger

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