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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: content · mouse · charge · temple · date · tear · chip · march

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. chip — to eat
  3. charge — in control
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. content — happy
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. march — the month
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. chip — for betting
  12. charge — a price
  13. tear — from crying
  14. date — the fruit
  15. march — music
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. tear — from crying
  18. charge — electricity
  19. tear — to rip
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. march — the month
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. content — the amount

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