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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — an aim
  4. field — a subject
  5. bank — for money
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. object — to protest
  8. charge — in control
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. hand — help
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bank — of a river
  17. game — a match
  18. field — farmland
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rash — hasty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — in cards
  23. game — wild animals
  24. charge — a price

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