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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: dip · cap · bowl · temple · mouse · ground · wound · field

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — the earth
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. cap — a lid
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. ground — a position
  14. field — for sport
  15. cap — of ice
  16. field — a subject
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. field — farmland
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ground — crushed
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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