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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. band — a music group
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — hurry
  11. track — to keep track
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitch — completely
  14. march — the month
  15. march — music
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. band — a ring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. track — a song
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. march — the month
  24. track — a path

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