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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.

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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: drill · arm · racket · mark · field · deal · temple · suit

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. field — for sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. field — farmland
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — army training
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mark — a trace
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. field — a subject
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. suit — clothes

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