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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: temple · face · club · pitch · pound · rash · perch · bark

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — for golf
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — a weight
  11. club — a group
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. perch — the fish
  16. club — for dancing
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. face — part of the head
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pound — for dogs
  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