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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 · temple · bank · pitcher · spell · fork · chest · mark

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chest — a box
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bank — for money
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. spell — letters
  11. bank — of a river
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — magic
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fork — to eat with

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