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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. march — the month
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. band — a music group
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. march — music
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. band — a ring
  24. leaves — lets stay

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