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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bank — for money
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pound — a weight
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pound — to hit hard

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