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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: can · present · pound · temple · content · capital · jam · bass

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. capital — money
  4. can — to be able to
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. capital — a city
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. present — the time now
  11. can — a tin
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. bass — the fish
  14. content — happy
  15. bass — low music
  16. can — a tin
  17. content — the amount
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. present — there
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. jam — a tight spot

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