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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: racket · clip · lie · season · pitcher · temple · plane · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. plane — a tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — to cut
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — a video
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. season — in sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. season — of the year

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