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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cap — of ice
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. saw — the tool
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. kid — child
  11. current — electric
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. club — a group
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cap — a hat
  20. current — of water
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — a permit

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