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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 120 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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. scale — in music
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. scale — size or range
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. land — to come down
  11. field — a subject
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. pound — a weight
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. field — for sport
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. land — ground

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