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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.

Words on the sheet
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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. track — a path
  3. track — to keep track
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. field — for sport
  8. kick — in football
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — farmland
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. field — a subject
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. temple — side of the head

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