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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: bay · field · hand · court · current · fine · temple · scale

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. current — happening now
  8. hand — in cards
  9. field — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. court — for sport
  12. current — electric
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — of water
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. scale — size or range
  21. scale — in music
  22. fine — all right
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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