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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: field · game · row · mark · bear · prune · bank · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — wild animals
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. game — a match
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. field — a subject
  10. mark — a grade
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. field — for sport
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — a line
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. field — farmland
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mark — a trace

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