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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. bat — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. field — farmland
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — a subject
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. track — a path
  12. field — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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