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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: wound · foot · toast · temple · bark · club · suit · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. club — a group
  3. toast — bread
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. club — for dancing
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pound — a weight
  16. suit — to fit
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — for golf
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. foot — a measure

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