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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. game — a match
  4. pop — to visit
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. track — a path
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. foot — a measure
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — to keep track
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. pop — music
  14. roll — a list
  15. chip — for betting
  16. track — a song
  17. chip — to eat
  18. roll — a cake
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pop — soda
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. temple — side of the head

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