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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rule — a law
  8. date — the fruit
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. file — a document
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. court — of a king
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. file — a tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of law
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a great time
  24. court — for sport

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