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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. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. cue — a signal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cue — for pool
  15. last — final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. last — finally
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. last — to go on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. rush — hurry

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