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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chip — for betting
  3. current — of water
  4. cue — for pool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pop — to visit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cue — a hint
  15. pop — music
  16. current — electric
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — for digging
  23. chip — to eat
  24. mine — an explosive

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