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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. pound — a weight
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. degree — temperature
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. present — there
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. craft — boats
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. tube — a container
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. degree — an amount
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. present — the time now
  21. present — a gift
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. foot — a measure
  24. degree — from a university

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