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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: rule · rock · fork · temple · field · tear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. rule — a law
  10. rock — a stone
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. rule — government
  18. temple — a place of worship

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