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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · staff · ground · date · temple · squash

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the sport
  3. staff — employees
  4. ground — a position
  5. date — the fruit
  6. squash — to crush
  7. staff — a stick
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ground — crushed
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pop — to visit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pop — music
  15. staff — employees
  16. pop — soda
  17. ground — the earth
  18. temple — side of the head

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