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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — to fit
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. field — for sport
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bass — low music
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a line
  24. bass — the fish

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