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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 · pit · pound · stick · foot · shower · coach · game

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pit — in a race
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. game — wild animals
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — to wash
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. game — a match
  20. pound — a weight
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. temple — side of the head

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