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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · march · track · pound · kick · pitcher · temple · saw

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kick — in football
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a song
  7. march — music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. march — the month
  15. squash — the sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. track — a path
  19. march — the month
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pound — to hit hard

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