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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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Word bank
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a committee
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. date — the fruit
  5. saw — the tool
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. spell — letters
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bass — the fish
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — low music
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. board — to get on
  21. spell — a short time
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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