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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: pound · ball · field · bulb · firm · pitcher · temple · roll

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a dance
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — a company
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. firm — steady
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — a list
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — a subject
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. pitcher — a jug

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