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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: foot · coach · object · mouse · field · spell · current · temple

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. current — of water
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. spell — a short time
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — an aim
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — a thing
  15. object — to protest
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. current — electric
  23. spell — letters
  24. field — a subject

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