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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: file · track · field · board · temple · bear · rush · cabinet

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. track — a song
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. file — a tool
  9. board — a committee
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. file — a document
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. board — to get on
  19. field — farmland
  20. track — a path
  21. field — for sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — a thrill

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