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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.

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: roll · prune · current · cold · pound · temple · ball · march

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. march — the month
  4. current — happening now
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cold — not warm
  7. roll — a cake
  8. current — electric
  9. ball — a dance
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ball — a great time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. current — of water
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. roll — a list
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — the month
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. prune — to trim
  24. roll — on a roll

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