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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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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: chair · field · pit · fork · temple · game · calf · racket

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. game — a match
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. field — a subject
  17. pit — a hole
  18. field — for sport
  19. fork — in a road
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — farmland
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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