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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.

Make a worksheet

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: current · temple · arm · march · field · lie · racket · scale

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — electric
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. field — for sport
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — farmland
  10. current — happening now
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. current — of water
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — a subject
  18. scale — in music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — to recline
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — the month
  24. scale — size or range

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