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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · chip · bore · perch · pass · shower · temple · fine

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. chip — for betting
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — to eat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. shower — rain
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — high quality
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — all right
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bore — to tire
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bat — the animal

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