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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — a series
  12. field — farmland
  13. rash — hasty
  14. present — a gift
  15. shower — rain
  16. staff — employees
  17. present — the time now
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. present — there
  21. staff — a stick
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — for measuring

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