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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: temple · suit · march · nail · pass · calf · jam · pop

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — to visit
  10. march — music
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pop — soda
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. jam — in traffic

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