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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: object · jam · temple · rule · pop · chip · squash · capital

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chip — to eat
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. pop — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. object — an aim
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rule — government
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. capital — money
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pop — soda
  24. squash — the vegetable

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