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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — the fish
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. land — ground
  5. track — a path
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. land — to come down
  8. land — a country
  9. chip — to eat
  10. content — the amount
  11. chip — for betting
  12. bank — of a river
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bank — for money
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bank — for money
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. track — a song
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. content — happy

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