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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: club · kick · object · cabinet · temple · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. chip — for betting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — to eat
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — a group
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers

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