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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: pound · wind · temple · current · chip · club · rash · pit

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. rash — a series
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wind — moving air
  9. current — happening now
  10. rash — hasty
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pit — in a race
  14. current — electric
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — for betting
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. club — a group
  20. pound — a weight
  21. wind — moving air
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for golf

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