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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: dip · land · net · mug · jam · fork · temple · mate

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. land — ground
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. land — a country
  16. dip — to sink
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. land — to come down
  23. mug — to rob
  24. net — after costs

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