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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
468
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 · bass · bear · temple · nail · can · fan · tube

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — a subject
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. field — farmland
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — low music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. tube — a container
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. 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