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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: net · nail · temple · fan · pit · deal · field · stand

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. deal — to handle
  4. net — after costs
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. field — for sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. net — in sport
  10. pit — a hole
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pit — in a race
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. field — a subject
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. net — for catching
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. temple — side of the head

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