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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — a thing
  8. firm — steady
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. root — of a plant
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. root — the cause
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. charge — in control
  18. object — to protest
  19. root — of a word
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. firm — decided
  24. rash — a series

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