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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ball — a great time
  3. foot — a measure
  4. spring — of water
  5. can — to be able to
  6. spring — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. field — a subject
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. current — happening now
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. field — farmland
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. current — of water
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. spring — a coil
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. current — electric

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