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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: spell · staff · field · pitcher · fan · date · mouse · temple

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. staff — employees
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — letters
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. staff — employees
  8. date — the fruit
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. field — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. staff — a stick
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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