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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: fork · temple · mouse · prune · fan · lie · field · pit

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. prune — to trim
  5. field — for sport
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. prune — to trim
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pit — in a race
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — a hole
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. field — farmland

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