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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — a match
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. roll — a cake
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — to be able to
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — a permit
  20. roll — a list
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. date — the fruit

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