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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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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: clip · temple · jam · scale · dip · date · pitcher · cabinet

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — for paper
  7. scale — in music
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. clip — a video
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. scale — size or range
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. date — the fruit
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. scale — for weighing

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