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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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. court — of a king
  6. content — happy
  7. court — of law
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — for sport
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bank — for money
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. file — a document
  21. bank — of a river
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. file — a tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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