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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — of a king
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. court — of law
  7. mate — a friend
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mate — to breed
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. court — for sport
  22. date — the fruit
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bat — the animal

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