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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 · fine · temple · row · field · prune · season · dip

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. dip — to sink
  4. season — of the year
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. prune — to trim
  8. field — for sport
  9. prune — to trim
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. field — a subject
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. field — farmland
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — in sport

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