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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — a weight
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spell — magic
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — letters
  19. rest — a break
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — of the year
  22. track — to keep track
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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