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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: mate · net · kid · pit · pop · pound · temple · calf

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — for catching
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mate — a partner
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pound — a weight
  22. mate — a friend
  23. kid — child
  24. temple — a place of worship

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