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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a hole
  3. toast — bread
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. ball — a dance
  9. file — a document
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a great time
  14. pound — a weight
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. pit — in a race
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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