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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: rule · mate · club · ground · temple · bowl · pit · game

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mate — to breed
  3. rule — government
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ground — crushed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. ground — the earth
  12. club — a group
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rule — a law
  16. club — for golf
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — a match
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — for dancing
  24. game — a kind of play

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