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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · bear · march · coach · bowl · temple

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. sharp — clever
  4. march — music
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bear — the animal
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bear — the animal
  18. sharp — with an edge

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