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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: ball · pound · bay · temple · roll · march · foot · trunk

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. roll — a list
  16. foot — a measure
  17. march — the month
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. march — music
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a horse colour

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