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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: bound · jam · temple · field · board · last · racket · craft

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. field — a subject
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bound — obliged
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. board — a committee
  17. craft — boats
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. last — finally
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — certain
  22. last — to go on
  23. craft — a skill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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