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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. chip — to eat
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — all right
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mine — for digging
  13. pitch — completely
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. row — a line
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fine — high quality
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chip — for betting

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