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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 120 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 · current · racket · march · field · craft · kid · bear

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. current — electric
  4. field — farmland
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. field — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. bear — the animal
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. current — happening now
  17. march — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. craft — boats
  20. kid — child
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. kid — to tease

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