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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: chip · club · charge · craft · temple · pitch · present · cell

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cell — a phone
  4. charge — in control
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chip — to eat
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. present — the time now
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. charge — a price
  13. club — a group
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. cell — in biology
  18. present — a gift
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chip — for betting
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. chip — in a computer

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