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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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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: pound · coach · tube · march · pit · bowl · temple · bore

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. march — the month
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. march — the month
  8. bore — to drill
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pit — a hole
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — in a race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. pound — a weight
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. march — music
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pound — to hit hard

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