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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bank — for money
  5. key — the most important part
  6. pound — a weight
  7. scale — size or range
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mark — a trace
  12. scale — in music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — for digging
  18. key — in music
  19. mark — a grade
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bank — for money

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