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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — of law
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for dancing
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. club — for golf
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cold — an illness
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. cold — not warm
  19. court — for sport
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of a king
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. temple — side of the head

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