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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. swing — to play on
  4. field — a subject
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fine — high quality
  20. swing — in golf
  21. spell — magic
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. spell — letters
  24. fine — all right

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