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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. spring — a coil
  5. suit — to fit
  6. court — of a king
  7. spring — of water
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. suit — clothes
  10. spring — the season
  11. court — of law
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bass — the fish
  14. deal — to handle
  15. object — an aim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — for sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — a thing
  20. bass — low music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. object — to protest

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