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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: mate · charge · coach · race · bass · patient · temple · chip

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. charge — electricity
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — low music
  5. race — a contest
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. charge — in control
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mate — a friend
  22. charge — a price
  23. race — the arms race
  24. mate — to breed

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