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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: march · squash · game · temple · leaves · pop · cap · toast

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. march — music
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — bread
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — of ice
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cap — a hat
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cap — a lid
  18. march — the month
  19. pop — soda
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pop — to visit
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. game — a match
  24. leaves — lets stay

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