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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. track — a song
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — a coil
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spring — the season
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — of water
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. date — the fruit
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. track — a path
  24. date — on the calendar

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