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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. track — a song
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. game — wild animals
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rock — music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. chip — to eat
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. track — a path
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — to breed
  20. track — to keep track
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. game — a match
  24. rock — a stone

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