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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — to eat
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rule — government
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rule — a law
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. firm — steady
  19. pass — a permit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. net — after costs
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — to succeed

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