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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — certain
  16. scale — in music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a horse colour

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