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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: bark · bear · temple · fan · bound · field · mate · charge

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bound — tied together
  3. charge — a price
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mate — a friend
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bound — obliged
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bound — certain
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bark — to shout
  24. temple — side of the head

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