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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. track — a path
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cue — a signal
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — the most important part
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — for a lock
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cue — a hint
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. track — to keep track
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. key — in music
  23. date — the fruit
  24. pound — for dogs

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