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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — for golf
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — to breed
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mate — a friend
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. club — for dancing
  12. last — to go on
  13. club — a group
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bass — low music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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