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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: temple · club · rule · chip · hide · date · current · track

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. rule — government
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. current — happening now
  6. track — a path
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rule — a law
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. club — for golf
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. chip — to eat
  13. club — a group
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. track — to keep track
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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