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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. field — farmland
  3. pop — soda
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. field — a subject
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — for sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — the fruit
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the sport
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — for a lock
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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