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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — soda
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. chip — for betting
  7. pop — music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chip — to eat
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. net — after costs
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — low music
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. net — in sport

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