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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: season · bore · temple · stand · board · saw · field · mug

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a face
  6. field — a subject
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — for sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — farmland
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. season — in sport
  13. bore — to drill
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. temple — a place of worship

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