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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. firm — steady
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — there
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. firm — a company
  12. net — for catching
  13. chip — to eat
  14. net — after costs
  15. ball — a dance
  16. chip — for betting
  17. race — humankind
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — the time now
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — the arms race
  22. firm — decided
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. foot — part of the body

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