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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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. bound — tied together
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — farmland
  11. bound — obliged
  12. field — a subject
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. bound — certain
  16. season — in sport
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. season — of the year
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bat — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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