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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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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 · cue · trunk · roll · march · ground · game

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — a signal
  3. game — a match
  4. march — music
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cue — a hint
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. game — wild animals
  11. roll — a cake
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. ground — crushed
  15. suit — to fit
  16. ground — a position
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. suit — clothes
  21. ground — the earth
  22. roll — a list
  23. march — the month
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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