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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. board — a committee
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chip — to eat
  15. pitch — completely
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. deal — to handle
  23. present — there
  24. row — to paddle

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