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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — for betting
  3. rock — music
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. club — for golf
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. land — ground
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. rock — a stone
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. club — for dancing
  24. fan — a supporter

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