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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. band — a ring
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. root — of a word
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. band — a music group
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ball — a great time
  16. mate — to breed
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. chip — to eat
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. root — the cause
  24. mate — a friend

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