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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. field — for sport
  4. tube — a container
  5. craft — a skill
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — boats
  10. current — happening now
  11. swing — to play on
  12. current — of water
  13. field — a subject
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. current — electric
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. field — farmland
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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