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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. field — farmland
  3. mark — a grade
  4. chip — for betting
  5. mark — a trace
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — for sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. temple — a place of worship

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