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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pop — to visit
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mark — a grade
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. roll — a list
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. tube — a container
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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