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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. spring — the season
  3. date — the fruit
  4. track — to keep track
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — a subject
  13. pop — to visit
  14. track — a song
  15. track — a path
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pop — soda
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — a coil
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — music
  24. plane — a tool

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