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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: temple · ball · rest · pit · field · stock · bay · jam

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stock — shares
  8. field — for sport
  9. pit — in a race
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rest — what's left
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. field — farmland
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. temple — a place of worship

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