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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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. court — of law
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pit — a hole
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — of a king
  11. race — a contest
  12. date — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pit — in a race
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. temple — a place of worship

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