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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: net · rush · rule · date · squash · temple · fine · swing

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. rule — a law
  3. net — in sport
  4. rush — hurry
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. fine — all right
  11. swing — in golf
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. net — after costs
  16. squash — the sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. net — for catching
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. squash — the vegetable

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