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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: craft · prune · temple · field · ground · charge · shower · bore

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. field — a subject
  8. charge — in control
  9. bore — to tire
  10. shower — to wash
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — farmland
  15. craft — a skill
  16. charge — a price
  17. craft — boats
  18. charge — electricity
  19. ground — crushed
  20. shower — rain
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ground — the earth
  24. prune — the fruit

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