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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 120 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: bay · kid · pound · temple · rush · game · mouse · land

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. game — wild animals
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. game — a match
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. land — ground
  11. kid — to tease
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. kid — child
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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