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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.

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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 · ruler · bank · chip · mate · tube · content · stick

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. content — the amount
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. mate — a partner
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — of a river
  16. tube — the underground
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — for betting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bank — for money

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