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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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. field — for sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bound — certain
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. firm — a company
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. firm — decided
  13. field — farmland
  14. firm — steady
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. tube — the underground
  19. bound — obliged
  20. stand — to bear
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. field — a subject
  24. mine — an explosive

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