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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 120 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: rule · tube · board · charge · nail · pop · temple · bat

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. rule — a law
  3. board — to get on
  4. pop — music
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rule — government
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. board — a committee
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pop — soda
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. charge — a price
  18. tube — the underground
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. charge — in control
  24. bat — in an idiom

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