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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · club · calf · temple · kick · field

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. club — for golf
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. field — farmland
  9. club — a group
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. club — for dancing
  17. field — for sport
  18. calf — a young animal

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