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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fine · rash · date · trunk · mark · pit · temple · ground

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fine — all right
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fine — high quality
  20. rash — a series
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ground — a position
  23. date — the fruit
  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