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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: club · chip · cabinet · temple · ruler · last

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. last — finally
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. last — to go on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chip — for betting
  16. last — final
  17. cabinet — ministers
  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