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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: mark · temple · pop · field · can · kid · club · stem

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mark — a grade
  3. field — for sport
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. can — to be able to
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kid — child
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. club — for golf
  13. can — a tin
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — to come from
  16. kid — to tease
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. club — a group
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — soda
  23. can — a tin
  24. pop — music

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