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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — to get on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — farmland
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — a subject
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a committee
  18. bound — tied together
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. ball — a great time
  24. pound — for dogs

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