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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: pound · mark · temple · jam · suit · rest · fan · bat

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mark — a grade
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rest — a break
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rest — what's left

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