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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. scale — in music
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. scale — size or range
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — clever
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pound — a weight
  24. temple — side of the head

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