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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: net · board · pound · date · temple · pass · land · chest

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. board — to get on
  3. pass — a permit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. chest — a box
  8. net — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — ground
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. board — a committee
  22. land — a country
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pass — to spend time

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