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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: fine · net · band · temple · clip · root · wake · field

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. clip — for paper
  5. field — farmland
  6. net — in sport
  7. root — the cause
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. clip — a video
  11. wake — a trail
  12. root — of a word
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. clip — to cut
  16. fine — high quality
  17. root — of a plant
  18. fine — all right
  19. band — a ring
  20. net — for catching
  21. band — a music group
  22. field — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. field — a subject

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