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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
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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: spring · rush · temple · coach · degree · spell · prune · field

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — for sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spell — letters
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. degree — an amount
  11. spring — of water
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. degree — from a university
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — a short time
  17. degree — temperature
  18. spring — the season
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. field — farmland
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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