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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. mug — a face
  3. degree — from a university
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. degree — temperature
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mug — a cup
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. degree — an amount
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chip — in a computer

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