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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: fan · pound · toast · ruler · net · field · temple · lie

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — a subject
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. net — after costs
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — bread
  16. net — in sport
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — for catching
  20. field — for sport
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pound — to hit hard

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