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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: temple · bay · field · capital · clip · bound · nail · ruler

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a city
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. clip — a video
  9. field — farmland
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. field — for sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. capital — money
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. clip — to cut
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. clip — for paper

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