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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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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 · vault · track · bear · temple · jam · wake · fork

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. track — a path
  23. vault — a safe
  24. date — the fruit

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