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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: temple · bore · tear · bay · fine · rule · pitch · date

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. date — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — a law
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rule — government
  19. fine — all right
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. tear — from crying
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bay — a horse colour

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