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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: leaves · craft · staff · temple · field · roll · chip · fork

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. field — a subject
  6. craft — a skill
  7. field — farmland
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — in a road
  11. craft — boats
  12. staff — a stick
  13. chip — to eat
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. roll — a cake
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — a list
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. craft — a handicraft

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