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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — to play on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. chip — for betting
  8. can — a tin
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chip — to eat
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — music
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — completely
  23. swing — in golf
  24. temple — side of the head

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