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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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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: march · racket · row · pitch · track · rest · temple · trunk

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — completely
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — a break
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rest — what's left
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. track — to keep track
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a path
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. march — the month
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. track — a song

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