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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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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: game · bound · temple · fan · cap · pound · bear · mug

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cap — a lid
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — tied together
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. pound — a weight
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mug — a face
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — of ice
  23. mug — a cup
  24. game — a match

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