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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. rush — hurry
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. hand — help
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chip — for betting
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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