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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: sharp · pop · march · ground · suit · fine · bat · temple

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pop — soda
  5. march — music
  6. pop — music
  7. suit — clothes
  8. ground — the earth
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pop — to visit
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. bat — the animal
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. march — the month
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — crushed
  23. sharp — clever
  24. ground — a position

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