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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: pound · bat · temple · fine · snap · rule · staff · roll

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fine — high quality
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — a stick
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fine — all right
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rule — government
  22. bat — the animal
  23. roll — a list
  24. staff — employees

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