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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 · mark · bound · bear · temple · ground · charge · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. field — a subject
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a tool
  8. charge — in control
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. field — farmland
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mark — a grade
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ground — a position
  17. mark — a trace
  18. ground — the earth
  19. file — a document
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. charge — a price

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