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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bark · rock · temple · court · nail · field · shower · ruler

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rock — a stone
  5. field — a subject
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. court — of a king
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. field — for sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — to shout
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — of 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