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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
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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 · calf · prune · bass · field · race · temple · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. race — a contest
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. race — the arms race
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. cabinet — ministers

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