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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.

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: key · court · temple · present · march · nail · squash · bank

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. court — for sport
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. squash — the sport
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. present — a gift
  12. march — the month
  13. key — in music
  14. court — of a king
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. bank — for money
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — of a river
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bank — for money
  24. temple — a place of worship

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