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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — decided
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — wild animals
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. field — for sport
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. field — farmland
  13. mate — a partner
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. mug — a face
  18. firm — steady
  19. field — a subject
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mug — to rob
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fine — a penalty

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