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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: fan · lean · pit · field · tube · racket · temple · march

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. march — the month
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. march — the month
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pit — in a race
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pit — a hole
  15. tube — a container
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. march — music
  19. lean — thin
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. field — farmland
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. lean — to rest against

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