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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — to eat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. drill — army training
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a document
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bulb — for light
  23. court — of law
  24. bulb — of a plant

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