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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 · field · ground · hide · snap · bowl · pitcher · craft

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. field — for sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ground — crushed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. craft — a skill
  13. snap — to click
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. ground — the earth
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. craft — boats
  22. field — a subject
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ground — a position

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