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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. court — of law
  8. march — the month
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of a king
  12. cell — a phone
  13. pitch — completely
  14. march — music
  15. rest — a break
  16. court — for sport
  17. root — the cause
  18. march — the month
  19. root — of a word
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cell — in biology
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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