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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: suit · kid · rock · temple · spell · pound · fork · bowl

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — clothes
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fork — in a road
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. spell — a short time
  9. suit — in cards
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — child
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. pound — a weight
  18. kid — to tease
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. spell — letters
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. suit — to fit
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rock — music

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