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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. current — happening now
  3. club — a group
  4. vault — a safe
  5. field — for sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. field — a subject
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. object — an aim
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stock — shares
  14. object — a thing
  15. stock — goods
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. current — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. club — for dancing
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. field — farmland
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. club — for golf

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