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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 120 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: racket · fan · temple · field · fine · stand · cap · wake

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. stand — to bear
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cap — a lid
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. field — for sport
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — a trail
  10. field — farmland
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. fine — high quality
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. field — a subject
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — a hat
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fan — a supporter

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