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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a music group
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cap — a hat
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — an aim
  11. row — to paddle
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. band — a ring
  15. craft — a skill
  16. object — a thing
  17. cap — a lid
  18. squash — the sport
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. object — to protest
  21. field — a subject
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. cap — of ice
  24. craft — boats

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