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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — after costs
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wake — a trail
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. root — the cause
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pit — in a race
  17. root — of a plant
  18. net — for catching
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. root — of a word
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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