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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. swing — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. game — a match
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. season — of the year
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. pound — a weight
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. game — wild animals
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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