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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: bound · field · perch · game · bore · temple · lean · net

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. net — in sport
  3. bore — to tire
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bound — certain
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. lean — to bend
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. net — for catching
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — thin
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. game — a match
  17. net — after costs
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bound — obliged
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. field — for sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bound — tied together

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