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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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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: pitcher · pound · pass · tear · temple · squash · bound · craft

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. tear — to rip
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pound — a weight
  6. craft — a skill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. bound — certain
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pass — a permit
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. craft — boats
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — from crying

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