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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: calf · pop · field · cap · temple · key · bore · patient

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — for sport
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. field — farmland
  10. cap — of ice
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. key — in music
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pop — music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. field — a subject
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. temple — side of the head

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