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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 · kid · board · calf · temple · field · pitcher · face

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. sharp — clever
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. board — to get on
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kid — to tease
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. face — to confront
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. face — part of the head
  21. field — farmland
  22. face — to point toward
  23. kid — child
  24. calf — a young animal

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