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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — farmland
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. chest — a box
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chest — of your body
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. prune — to trim
  18. field — a subject

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