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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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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 · bore · row · chip · craft · mate · roll · prune

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mate — a friend
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. craft — a skill
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. roll — a cake
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bore — to drill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. roll — a list
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — to eat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. row — a line
  24. roll — on a roll

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