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

Word bank: pit · snap · leaves · squash · club · march · temple · bear

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. march — the month
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. pit — in a race
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. snap — to click
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. club — a group
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. march — music
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. march — the month
  20. squash — the sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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