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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. rash — hasty
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. season — in sport
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. rest — what's left
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. season — of the year

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