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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — soda
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rash — hasty
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rash — a series
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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