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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — to eat
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fine — high quality
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cap — a lid
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. field — farmland
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — of ice
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — a subject
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — all right

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