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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: rock · prune · jam · temple · firm · shower · field · charge

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. firm — a company
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. field — farmland
  11. shower — to wash
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. field — a subject
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. charge — in control
  17. firm — steady
  18. charge — electricity
  19. shower — rain
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — decided

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