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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: temple · rock · capital · bound · chip · game · craft · arm

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bound — tied together
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — music
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — to eat
  15. capital — a city
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. bound — certain
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bound — obliged
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. game — a match
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. craft — boats

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