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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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468
Word bank
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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — in control
  6. can — to be able to
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. spring — of water
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — to visit
  14. charge — a price
  15. track — a path
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — to eat
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chip — for betting
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — music
  23. track — a song
  24. spring — the season

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