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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: field · temple · perch · cap · date · squash · mark · rash

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. date — the fruit
  6. cap — a lid
  7. field — farmland
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. field — for sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rash — a series
  12. squash — the sport
  13. perch — the fish
  14. cap — of ice
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. field — a subject
  24. mark — a trace

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