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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. tube — a container
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. season — in sport
  11. degree — an amount
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — from a university
  14. chip — for betting
  15. dip — to sink
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. degree — temperature
  20. season — of the year
  21. chip — to eat
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. dip — a sauce

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