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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — to eat
  4. present — there
  5. pit — in a race
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fall — to drop
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. present — the time now
  11. fall — the season
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. track — a path
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chip — for betting
  24. track — a song

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