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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: swing · club · temple · arm · field · ruler · cap · fan

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. field — farmland
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cap — a hat
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cap — a lid
  11. swing — to play on
  12. club — for golf
  13. field — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — of ice
  16. swing — in golf
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — music

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