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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: present · chip · land · squash · nail · spring · temple · club

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — a group
  6. chip — for betting
  7. land — ground
  8. present — a gift
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. club — for golf
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. land — to come down
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. spring — the season
  20. present — there
  21. squash — to crush
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spring — a coil
  24. chip — to eat

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