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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. field — farmland
  3. wound — an injury
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. field — a subject
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pound — a weight
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. firm — steady
  18. wound — an injury
  19. present — the time now
  20. firm — a company
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — for sport
  24. firm — decided

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