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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. chip — to eat
  3. court — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. court — of a king
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. court — of law
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. ground — the earth
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — happy
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. ground — a position
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. content — the amount
  24. bowl — to roll

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