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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
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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: wake · bulb · temple · shower · pound · present · ground · game

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. present — the time now
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — rain
  5. wake — a trail
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. present — a gift
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — there
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — a match
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pound — a weight
  24. game — wild animals

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