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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 trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — of a river
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. court — of law
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pound — a weight
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — to trim
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. court — of a king
  19. stock — shares
  20. court — for sport
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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