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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: wake · game · field · temple · bound · charge · saw · board

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. game — a match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. field — a subject
  5. bound — obliged
  6. saw — the tool
  7. charge — electricity
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wake — a trail
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bound — tied together
  14. field — for sport
  15. bound — certain
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. field — farmland
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. saw — the tool

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