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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. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rule — government
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. race — the arms race
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. degree — from a university
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — humankind
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. degree — an amount
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rule — a law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. race — a contest
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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