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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: rock · cue · pound · pop · rest · pass · temple · content

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rock — music
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — the amount
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. content — happy
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. cue — for pool
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rock — a stone

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