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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: date · prune · mark · pop · ball · bound · temple · march

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — music
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — a grade
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pop — soda
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. ball — a dance
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. pop — music

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