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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: pound · mate · temple · foot · fork · field · ball · club

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a partner
  6. field — for sport
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. field — a subject
  11. club — for dancing
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. field — farmland
  14. mate — to breed
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. club — a group
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. mate — a friend
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fork — in a road

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