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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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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: fan · ground · suit · temple · bore · vault · field · march

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. vault — a safe
  10. march — the month
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — crushed
  13. field — for sport
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. ground — the earth
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bore — to drill
  18. suit — to fit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. ground — a position
  24. fan — to cool the air

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