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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 · jam · branch · sharp · racket · ruler · present · temple

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — a division
  3. march — the month
  4. present — a gift
  5. march — the month
  6. sharp — clever
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. march — music
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — for tennis

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