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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: cap · net · toast · present · craft · ground · pound · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. ground — the earth
  3. craft — a skill
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. ground — crushed
  10. toast — bread
  11. present — a gift
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. ground — a position
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. net — for catching
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a lid
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — boats
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. net — in sport

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