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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
468
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: field · mate · tube · current · present · trunk · racket · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. present — a gift
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. present — there
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. field — a subject
  9. present — the time now
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. field — for sport
  14. current — electric
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mate — to breed
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mate — a partner

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