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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. firm — steady
  4. field — a subject
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. field — farmland
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. firm — decided
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. kick — in football
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. firm — a company
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cap — a lid
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fork — in a road
  22. field — for sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rush — hurry

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