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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: field · shower · charge · march · bank · sharp · bowl · temple

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — the month
  4. march — the month
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. charge — electricity
  20. march — music
  21. sharp — clever
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — with an edge

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