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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
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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: temple · rash · pound · ground · racket · cabinet · clip · fan

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. rash — hasty
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — a weight
  8. ground — a position
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. clip — a video
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. clip — to cut
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. ground — crushed
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. clip — for paper

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