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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
468
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 · pop · content · court · squash · trunk · present · march

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. march — music
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pop — soda
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — music
  7. march — the month
  8. present — a gift
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. march — the month
  11. squash — the sport
  12. court — of law
  13. present — there
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. present — the time now
  17. content — the amount
  18. court — of a king
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. content — happy
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — for sport

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