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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 · charge · pit · temple · fork · tear

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a hole
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. tear — from crying
  6. pit — in a race
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — a weight
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. charge — in control
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. fork — a garden tool

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