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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. scale — in music
  4. kick — in football
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. race — a contest
  18. scale — size or range
  19. race — the arms race
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — dry grass

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