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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. capital — money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mate — a partner
  20. capital — a city
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chip — for betting
  24. track — a song

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