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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 120 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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. key — for a lock
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. pound — to hit hard

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