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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. swing — in golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — for sport
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. court — of a king
  15. swing — to play on
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. court — of law
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. press — to push
  24. chair — a leader

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