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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: field · tear · pound · rest · temple · season · pop · deal

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. deal — to handle
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — for sport
  10. pop — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — a subject
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rest — a break
  17. season — of the year
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. pop — soda
  21. season — in sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pound — a weight

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