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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. scale — in music
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. scale — size or range
  7. land — to come down
  8. track — a song
  9. chip — to eat
  10. game — a match
  11. land — ground
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wake — a trail
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. mate — to breed
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. land — a country
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. game — a kind of play

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