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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: temple · swing · current · mouse · pitch · field · bear · roll

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — happening now
  6. roll — a cake
  7. field — farmland
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. field — for sport
  11. roll — a list
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. current — electric
  15. pitch — completely
  16. swing — music
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. swing — in golf
  19. field — a subject
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. current — of water
  24. swing — to play on

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