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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: cap · race · charge · pound · bore · drill · net · temple

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. net — for catching
  4. cap — a hat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. race — humankind
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. charge — a price
  9. drill — army training
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bore — to drill
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. charge — in control
  16. cap — a lid
  17. drill — the tool
  18. race — the arms race
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — to tire
  21. charge — electricity
  22. drill — a practice
  23. race — a contest
  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