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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stand · temple · field · chip · season · bore · drill · bank

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. chip — to eat
  9. season — in sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bore — to drill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. drill — army training
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — a subject
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bank — for money
  22. drill — the tool
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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