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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: fan · temple · mate · fall · pitcher · foot · pound · field

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. field — a subject
  7. fall — the season
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mate — to breed
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. field — farmland
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. foot — a measure
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a partner

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