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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · march · drill · pitcher · mouse · temple · band · bear

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. bear — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — music
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — a practice
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. drill — the tool
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. band — a music group
  21. drill — army training
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. band — a ring
  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