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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 120 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: temple · suit · ground · season · pound · drill · can · leaves

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. drill — the tool
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. ground — crushed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. season — in sport
  12. pound — a weight
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — a tin
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. season — of the year
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. suit — clothes
  21. drill — army training
  22. suit — to fit
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. temple — side of the head

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