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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: can · roll · last · fork · content · temple · date · bowl

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — finally
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — a cake
  9. content — the amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. date — the fruit
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — in a road
  22. content — happy
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. date — on the calendar

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