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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · shower · bear · court · ruler · staff · net · temple

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. staff — a stick
  5. field — for sport
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. field — a subject
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. net — in sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. court — for sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. court — of law
  17. shower — rain
  18. court — of a king
  19. staff — employees
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — after costs
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. field — farmland

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