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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
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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: charge · sharp · deal · bat · temple · chip · board · march

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — a committee
  5. march — music
  6. charge — in control
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. march — the month
  11. chip — to eat
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. chip — for betting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. charge — a price
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. sharp — clever
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — with an edge

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