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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · march · content · rock · bowl · trunk · land · present

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. land — to come down
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. land — ground
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. present — the time now
  12. rock — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. march — the month
  16. present — a gift
  17. land — a country
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. march — music
  22. content — happy
  23. present — there
  24. trunk — of a car

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