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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 120 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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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: firm · band · temple · field · fork · safe · hand · root

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. root — of a word
  3. band — a music group
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — in cards
  6. fork — in a road
  7. root — the cause
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. firm — steady
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — help
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. field — for sport
  16. band — a ring
  17. field — a subject
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. root — of a plant
  21. field — farmland
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. band — a rubber band
  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