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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: fine · bound · saw · field · fork · temple · scale · dip

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. field — a subject
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. saw — the tool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. scale — in music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bound — tied together
  13. scale — size or range
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bound — obliged
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bound — certain
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — farmland
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. field — for sport

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