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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. game — wild animals
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. degree — temperature
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lie — to recline
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — the fruit
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. game — a match
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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