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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: fork · temple · object · craft · field · deal · row · bulb

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — to paddle
  3. deal — to handle
  4. row — a line
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. craft — boats
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. field — a subject
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. fork — to eat with

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