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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 120 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: cue · march · ball · foot · game · saw · leaves · temple

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ball — a dance
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. cue — for pool
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. march — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. march — the month
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. foot — a measure
  24. cue — a hint

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