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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: bass · pound · rule · bear · cap · temple · track · bulb

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rule — a law
  7. bear — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bulb — for light
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rule — government
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bass — low music
  20. cap — a hat
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bear — the animal

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