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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: scale · ground · bear · temple · chip · rule · present · net

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. net — in sport
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. chip — for betting
  6. net — for catching
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. scale — in music
  9. rule — a law
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. present — the time now
  12. scale — size or range
  13. present — there
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rule — government
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. net — after costs
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. chip — to eat
  24. ground — a position

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