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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — farmland
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rash — hasty
  5. ball — a dance
  6. field — for sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. net — after costs
  10. field — a subject
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. ball — a great time
  18. fine — all right

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