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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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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. temple — a place of worship
  5. staff — employees
  6. field — farmland
  7. staff — a stick
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. swing — music
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rule — government
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — a subject
  17. bulb — for light
  18. staff — employees
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rule — a law
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — bread

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