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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. perch — the fish
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chip — for betting
  10. staff — a stick
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. chip — to eat
  22. charge — in control
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. staff — employees

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