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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. firm — decided
  9. shower — to wash
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — not warm
  14. chip — for betting
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. firm — steady
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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