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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mark — a grade
  3. field — a subject
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — for sport
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — farmland
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — for sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — to play on
  13. swing — in golf
  14. court — of law
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. swing — music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. court — of a king

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