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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. date — the fruit
  6. game — a match
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rash — a series
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — of ice
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — a hat
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

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