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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 · wake · content · rash · racket · kid · pound · mouse

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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