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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: field · race · temple · rule · coach · mug · date · fan

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — government
  4. race — humankind
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — for sport
  7. rule — a law
  8. race — the arms race
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mug — a face
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mug — a cup
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. race — a contest
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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