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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — electricity
  3. field — a subject
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — a price
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. club — for dancing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. club — a group
  12. bear — the animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. field — farmland
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — for sport
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. charge — in control
  23. bear — the animal
  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