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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: swing · saw · bowl · temple · object · field · game · fork

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. object — an aim
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. swing — music
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. object — a thing
  12. swing — to play on
  13. field — a subject
  14. game — wild animals
  15. object — to protest
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. field — farmland
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — for sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the 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