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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: temple · clip · toast · sharp · fork · field · cabinet · club

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. clip — to cut
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. clip — a video
  5. club — a group
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. sharp — clever
  10. toast — bread
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. field — a subject
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — for paper
  18. field — for sport
  19. club — for dancing
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. field — farmland
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — a garden tool

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