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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: field · nail · temple · cap · rule · craft · mug · pitcher

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cap — a hat
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — a skill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mug — a face
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — a subject
  12. rule — government
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — farmland
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. rule — a law

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