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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. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. spring — of water
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. tear — to rip
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. chip — to eat
  11. spring — the season
  12. kid — child
  13. bank — for money
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. spring — a coil
  22. bass — the fish
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bass — low 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