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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: leaves · temple · tube · charge · stand · coach · bat · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. tube — a container
  6. charge — in control
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. field — a subject
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. charge — electricity
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. field — for sport
  16. stand — to bear
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. charge — a price
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. coach — a trainer

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