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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. fork — in a road
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cell — a phone
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a ring
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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