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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — for betting
  4. game — wild animals
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — a permit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. game — a match
  15. file — a document
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chip — to eat
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — a signal
  24. prune — to trim

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