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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
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: cabinet · date · bass · bowl · temple · wax · bear · court

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bass — low music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. court — of a king
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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