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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. court — of a king
  3. staff — a stick
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — a friend
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — to breed
  16. date — the fruit
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — the animal

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