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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. pop — music
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chip — for betting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chip — to eat
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kick — in football
  17. pop — soda
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. kid — to tease
  21. pop — to visit
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kid — child
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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