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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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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pop — music
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — after costs
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — a weight
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pop — to visit
  21. net — for catching
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pop — soda

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