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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: chip · charge · pit · temple · saw · club

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. charge — in control
  9. club — for golf
  10. chip — to eat
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — a group
  13. pit — in a race
  14. charge — a price
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. chip — for betting
  18. charge — electricity

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