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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: temple · cold · foot · can · chip · net

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. net — in sport
  3. chip — for betting
  4. net — after costs
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chip — to eat
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — for catching
  11. can — a tin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. cold — not warm
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cold — an illness

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