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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: leaves · temple · pound · content · chair · vault · squash · bass

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. squash — to crush
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. content — happy
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. chair — a leader
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bass — the fish
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. content — the amount
  19. vault — a safe
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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