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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a committee
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. hand — help
  5. press — to push
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. press — newspapers
  8. board — to get on
  9. bore — to drill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. press — a publisher
  16. hand — in cards
  17. degree — from a university
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. degree — an amount
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. degree — temperature

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