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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: mate · stem · temple · pound · pop · date · object · bark

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. object — a thing
  4. mate — a friend
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. stem — to come from
  8. object — to protest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pound — a weight
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. object — an aim
  24. pop — soda

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