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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: last · tube · shower · pound · foot · temple · court · mug

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mug — a face
  4. pound — a weight
  5. last — finally
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. last — final
  8. court — of a king
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. mug — a cup
  12. court — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. tube — a container
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. court — of law
  18. shower — to wash
  19. foot — a measure
  20. mug — to rob
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. last — to go on
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. shower — rain

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