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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — a company
  3. ground — a position
  4. chip — for betting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — to tease
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. snap — to click
  9. kid — child
  10. firm — decided
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. cell — in biology
  14. firm — steady
  15. chip — to eat
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. game — wild animals
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — a match

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