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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. file — a line of people
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — of the year
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wax — to grow
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. season — in sport
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wound — an injury

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