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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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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: season · tube · board · racket · face · temple · pound · vault

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. board — to get on
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. face — to point toward
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — part of the head
  13. vault — a safe
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. face — to confront
  17. season — in sport
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — of the year
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. tube — in a tire

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