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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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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: pound · fork · staff · kick · temple · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. kick — in football
  5. field — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. staff — employees
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. staff — employees
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. staff — a stick
  13. field — a subject
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. field — farmland

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