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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: mouse · temple · field · last · race · bound · fine · sharp

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. last — finally
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bound — obliged
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. last — to go on
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — a subject
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fine — all right

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