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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: ground · field · temple · fine · net · fall · bay · pop

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. fall — to drop
  6. ground — a position
  7. pop — music
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. fall — the season
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fall — to drop
  15. net — for catching
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — all right
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ground — crushed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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