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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 · mate · calf · mouse · game · rash · temple · hand

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hand — in cards
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mate — to breed
  8. rash — a series
  9. mate — a friend
  10. field — for sport
  11. game — a match
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. field — farmland
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rash — hasty
  24. game — wild animals

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