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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.

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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pass — a permit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bound — tied together
  12. firm — a company
  13. field — a subject
  14. rush — hurry
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. firm — decided
  18. root — the cause
  19. bound — certain
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. firm — steady
  24. root — of a word

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