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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a ring
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. field — for sport
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — farmland
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rest — what's left
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — a break
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. field — a subject
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. band — a music group
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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