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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. rule — a law
  4. charge — a price
  5. pop — to visit
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. charge — in control
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. chip — for betting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pop — music
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rule — government
  20. pop — soda
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mark — a grade
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — in a computer

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