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

Word bank: temple · rush · rule · pound · present · jam · firm · deal

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. present — the time now
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rule — a law
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. deal — to handle
  8. firm — decided
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — hurry
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. present — there
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — a company
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pound — a weight
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pound — to hit hard

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