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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: temple · rock · last · key · date · cap · pitcher · trunk

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rock — music
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. last — finally
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cap — a lid
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. date — the fruit
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — to go on
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — for a lock
  24. pitcher — a jug

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