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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: jam · track · key · row · date · temple · bound · bat

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. row — a line
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bound — obliged
  7. row — to paddle
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. track — a song
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. track — a path
  20. key — for a lock
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — certain
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. date — on the calendar

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