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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: jam · march · pound · temple · bulb · mate · coach · branch

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — a division
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. pound — a weight
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. march — music
  24. pound — for dogs

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