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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. current — electric
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — boats
  11. mine — for digging
  12. rock — a stone
  13. race — the arms race
  14. current — happening now
  15. craft — a skill
  16. staff — employees
  17. race — humankind
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. field — for sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. race — a contest
  22. current — of water
  23. field — farmland
  24. rock — music

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