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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: foot · wake · temple · field · swing · band · calf · pitch

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. foot — a measure
  8. band — a music group
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pitch — completely
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. field — for sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — a trail
  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