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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. march — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. march — the month
  11. band — a ring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. track — a path
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — the month
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. temple — side of the head

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