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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 120 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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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: chip · temple · nail · mine · rule · game · bay · charge

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chip — to eat
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mine — for digging
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chip — for betting
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. charge — in control
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. game — a match
  24. rule — a law

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