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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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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: sharp · wake · pit · firm · temple · present · field · mug

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. present — there
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. mug — a face
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. firm — decided
  11. mug — a cup
  12. field — for sport
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. field — farmland
  18. present — the time now
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. firm — a company
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — a gift

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