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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · club · leaves · pitch · temple · march

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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 — music
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. toast — bread
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitch — completely
  18. march — the month

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