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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: swing · season · temple · pound · bark · tube · drill · field

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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. tube — in a tire
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tube — the underground
  6. swing — to play on
  7. drill — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — in sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. swing — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. field — farmland
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. season — of the year
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — a practice
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — army training
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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