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

Word bank: arm · jam · temple · date · chair · root

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. date — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. chair — a leader
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. root — the cause

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