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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · mark · field · pitcher · chair · temple · bear · rule

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. field — a subject
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. rule — government
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. field — farmland
  16. chair — a leader
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. field — for sport
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. temple — a place of worship

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