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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: rest · mate · chair · suit · temple · cabinet · field · mark

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — a friend
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — for sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mate — to breed
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. suit — clothes
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — farmland
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rest — a break
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — a leader
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mate — a partner
  24. temple — side of the head

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