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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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468
Word bank
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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. track — a song
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. cap — of ice
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bass — low music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. track — a path
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. track — to keep track
  24. cap — a lid

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