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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: jam · temple · content · mate · date · roll · capital · key

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. capital — money
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. content — happy
  4. mate — a partner
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mate — a friend
  11. key — in music
  12. roll — a cake
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — a list
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. content — the amount
  20. mate — to breed
  21. date — the fruit
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — for a lock
  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