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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. current — happening now
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. prune — to trim
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — of law
  11. band — a music group
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. band — a ring
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. current — electric
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. march — music
  22. current — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. band — a rubber band

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