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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 · charge · mate · stick · rule · game · pitcher · saw

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — to breed
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. charge — electricity
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. charge — a price
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. mate — a friend
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. game — a match
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. charge — in control
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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