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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: field · jam · sharp · cap · temple · bore · hand · press

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bore — to drill
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. field — farmland
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. press — a publisher
  14. cap — of ice
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. field — a subject
  20. cap — a hat
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. press — to push
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. press — newspapers

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