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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. game — a match
  18. branch — a division
  19. mug — a cup
  20. field — a subject
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. field — farmland
  24. mug — a face

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