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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. craft — a skill
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. craft — boats
  9. pound — a weight
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fine — all right
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. march — the month
  19. fine — high quality
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. march — the month
  24. mine — for digging

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