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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: rash · cold · pit · fine · mate · temple · key · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fine — high quality
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — all right
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cold — not warm
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pit — a hole
  24. mate — to breed

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