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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: mouse · season · temple · jam · field · spell · calf · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. field — a subject
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. spell — magic
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. spell — letters
  24. jam — a tight spot

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