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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: board · date · mouse · temple · roll · tube · charge · game

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — to get on
  6. tube — a container
  7. roll — a list
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. game — a match
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tube — the underground
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. board — a committee
  21. roll — a cake
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — the fruit
  24. game — wild animals

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