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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: cabinet · calf · mouse · temple · march · cell · club · roll

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. club — for dancing
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. club — for golf
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. club — a group
  18. march — music
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. march — the month

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