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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · root · temple · tear · bowl · date

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. root — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. date — the fruit
  13. root — the cause
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. tear — from crying
  18. root — of a word

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