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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 teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. roll — a cake
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — the fruit
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. field — farmland
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — on the calendar

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