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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: calf · squash · band · ground · can · temple · scale · march

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. can — to be able to
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. band — a ring
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — to crush
  16. band — a music group
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. can — a tin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — size or range
  23. ground — a position
  24. can — a tin

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