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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 120 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: court · object · nail · field · temple · tube · deal · sharp

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. court — of law
  4. deal — to handle
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — for sport
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. object — a thing
  17. tube — the underground
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — of a king
  21. tube — a container
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. object — an aim
  24. sharp — with an edge

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