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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — crushed
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — a law
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chip — for betting
  15. net — in sport
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rule — government
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. key — in music
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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