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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. key — in music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. race — humankind
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. race — a contest
  10. chip — for betting
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. key — for a lock
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. key — the most important part
  17. chip — to eat
  18. tear — from crying
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a grade

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