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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. game — wild animals
  5. squash — the sport
  6. row — a line
  7. ground — a position
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chip — for betting
  15. chip — to eat
  16. squash — to crush
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. row — to paddle
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — crushed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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