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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · cap · safe · patient · field · bass · temple · trunk

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cap — of ice
  4. field — for sport
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. field — farmland
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — a subject
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a lid
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. date — the fruit
  23. bass — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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