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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 120 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: field · hand · pit · charge · face · ball · mark · temple

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a grade
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hand — in cards
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — in control
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hand — help
  23. field — a subject
  24. charge — a price

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