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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. swing — in golf
  4. sharp — clever
  5. chip — to eat
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — to play on
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. land — a country
  11. land — ground
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chip — for betting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. swing — music
  24. stand — to bear

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