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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: dip · bat · date · temple · mark · band · content · perch

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. dip — to sink
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a ring
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. bat — the animal
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. date — the fruit
  14. perch — the fish
  15. mark — a grade
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mark — a trace

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