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

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for dancing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. club — a group
  16. staff — employees
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. club — for golf

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