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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mark — a trace
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. drill — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. drill — army training
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. field — a subject
  15. foot — a measure
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — farmland
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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