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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. key — for a lock
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. rule — government
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — to shout
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. key — in music
  15. rule — a law
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. face — part of the head
  18. key — the most important part
  19. face — to confront
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. fine — high quality
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bark — of a tree

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