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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. net — in sport
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. net — for catching
  19. rest — a break
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pound — a weight
  23. net — after costs
  24. bowl — to roll

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