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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.

Make a worksheet

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: craft · swing · hide · temple · mouse · game · ball · date

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — in golf
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a match
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. swing — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — the fruit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. craft — boats
  18. game — wild animals
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. swing — to play on
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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