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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. last — to go on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. chip — to eat
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — shares
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. board — a committee
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — rain
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. last — final
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. board — to get on
  23. shower — to wash
  24. board — a flat piece

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