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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: coach · march · club · cabinet · temple · mark · racket · calf

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — music
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. club — a group
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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