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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
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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: date · object · pop · temple · content · squash · bear · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. squash — to crush
  4. object — an aim
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. date — the fruit
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pop — to visit
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — a thing
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. bear — the animal
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. temple — a place of worship

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