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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: cabinet · squash · fork · field · temple · last · fine · toast

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. last — to go on
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fine — all right
  10. field — for sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — finally
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — farmland
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. last — final
  23. toast — bread
  24. field — a subject

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