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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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. pound — to hit hard
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. root — of a word
  8. capital — money
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pound — a weight
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. capital — a city
  17. root — the cause
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bound — tied together
  22. bound — certain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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