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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. date — the fruit
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rest — a break
  5. court — of a king
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to point toward
  10. roll — a list
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. court — of law
  17. face — part of the head
  18. court — for sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. fork — in a road
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. face — to confront

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