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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: spring · field · ball · temple · chip · press · can · mine

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — for digging
  3. field — a subject
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — to eat
  10. spring — the season
  11. field — farmland
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. chip — for betting
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. press — to push
  18. press — newspapers
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. field — for sport
  22. spring — a coil
  23. ball — a great time
  24. can — to be able to

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