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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — in football
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chip — for betting
  5. firm — a company
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. key — for a lock
  8. firm — steady
  9. pop — music
  10. bulb — for light
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. key — in music
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — a country
  16. pop — soda
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. key — the most important part
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. firm — decided
  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