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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: pitcher · temple · ground · trunk · fall · board · toast · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — a position
  7. march — music
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. march — the month
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ground — crushed
  13. board — to get on
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — bread
  17. ground — the earth
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. board — a committee
  24. temple — side of the head

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