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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
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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: degree · temple · nail · field · ball · bark · ruler · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. degree — from a university
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — a subject
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — farmland
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. degree — temperature
  19. ball — a dance
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. field — for sport

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