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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: chip · temple · bulb · prune · track · ruler · game · saw

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. track — to keep track
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. chip — to eat
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — for betting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. track — a song
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. prune — to trim
  22. track — a path
  23. game — a match
  24. saw — the tool

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