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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: can · calf · bowl · temple · court · march · branch · ground

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. march — music
  5. branch — a division
  6. ground — crushed
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. ground — a position
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. court — of law
  16. can — to be able to
  17. march — the month
  18. ground — the earth
  19. court — for sport
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — to 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