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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — to eat
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. current — of water
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. current — electric
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. current — happening now
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pit — a hole
  22. chip — for betting
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. temple — a place of worship

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