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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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. prune — to trim
  4. land — to come down
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. land — ground
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. land — a country
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. pitch — completely
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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