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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  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. mark — to pay attention
  2. chip — to eat
  3. current — of water
  4. mate — to breed
  5. current — electric
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. track — a song
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fine — all right
  12. track — to keep track
  13. current — happening now
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. track — a path
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chest — of your body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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