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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: mug · pound · stick · squash · fine · field · current · temple

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — a weight
  5. current — happening now
  6. mug — a cup
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. field — for sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mug — a face
  14. current — of water
  15. field — a subject
  16. field — farmland
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. fine — all right
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — electric
  24. temple — a place of worship

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