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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: temple · lie · field · season · mark · pound · craft · jam

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. field — a subject
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. craft — boats
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pound — a weight
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. field — for sport
  15. craft — a skill
  16. lie — to recline
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. season — in sport
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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