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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. toast — bread
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cap — a hat
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. cap — of ice
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. degree — from a university
  12. cue — for pool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. key — for a lock
  15. chip — for betting
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. cap — a lid
  18. degree — temperature
  19. key — the most important part
  20. degree — an amount
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cue — a signal

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