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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: rock · kid · pop · temple · fork · cell · club · pit

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. kid — child
  3. rock — a stone
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — music
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — for golf
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pop — music
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pop — soda
  18. club — a group
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. temple — a place of worship

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