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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pound · spell · bass · current · temple · trunk · jam · chest

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — happening now
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — a weight
  9. spell — a short time
  10. chest — a box
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. current — of water
  13. spell — magic
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. current — electric
  16. spell — letters
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of a car

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