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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: file · fine · trunk · arm · date · board · temple · pit

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — all right
  3. file — a line of people
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. pit — a hole
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. pit — in a race
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. file — a document
  24. temple — a place of worship

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