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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. chip — for betting
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. present — a gift
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pop — soda
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. present — there
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pop — to visit
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. present — the time now
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — completely
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. pop — music

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