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

Word bank: fork · temple · cap · game · saw · chip · snap · present

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. cap — a lid
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fork — in a road
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. chip — to eat
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — a gift
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — a match
  21. present — the time now
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — the tool
  24. present — there

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