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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. net — for catching
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bat — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. pound — a weight
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — after costs
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — out of danger

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