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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: rock · field · mark · staff · cue · temple · bowl · rule

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. staff — a stick
  3. field — for sport
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. cue — for pool
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. rule — a law
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. field — farmland
  20. mark — a grade
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — government
  24. mark — a trace

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