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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — hasty
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. charge — in control
  13. spell — letters
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — a short time
  19. root — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. rash — a series
  22. spell — magic
  23. root — of a word
  24. drill — army training

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