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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: stick · temple · firm · club · bat · date · land · march

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. club — for dancing
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. land — ground
  9. march — the month
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. land — a country
  12. firm — decided
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. land — to come down
  15. club — a group
  16. march — the month
  17. club — for golf
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. firm — a company
  21. march — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. firm — steady

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