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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 120 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: mug · tear · mark · season · field · temple · stock · game

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mug — a face
  3. season — in sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tear — to rip
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — from crying
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stock — goods
  18. game — wild animals
  19. field — farmland
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stock — shares

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