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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. mate — a friend
  4. can — a tin
  5. last — to go on
  6. staff — employees
  7. field — for sport
  8. cap — of ice
  9. last — finally
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — final
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mate — a partner
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cap — a lid
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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