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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: ruler · mouse · cell · temple · band · mark · field · bore

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. field — for sport
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. bore — to tire
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. band — a ring
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — a phone
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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