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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: fork · kid · pound · mouse · temple · tube · nail · stand

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. tube — the underground
  6. kid — child
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kid — to tease
  11. tube — a container
  12. stand — to bear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — a weight
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. nail — for a hammer

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