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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: jam · root · temple · rush · bass · mate · perch · pound

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mate — a partner
  4. perch — the fish
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. root — the cause
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. root — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rush — hurry

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