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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: temple · bay · current · lie · pit · march · perch · land

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. march — music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. land — ground
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. march — the month
  9. land — to come down
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. land — a country
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. march — the month
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. pit — a hole
  19. current — of water
  20. current — electric
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pit — in a race
  24. temple — a place of worship

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