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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. tear — to rip
  6. capital — money
  7. tear — from crying
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. capital — a city
  14. stock — goods
  15. mug — to rob
  16. spell — letters
  17. stock — shares
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a face
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spell — magic

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