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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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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: deal · bound · field · pound · land · ruler · net · can

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. land — a country
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. can — to be able to
  8. pound — a weight
  9. net — in sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. field — for sport
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. field — a subject
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bound — obliged
  21. net — for catching
  22. can — a tin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — certain

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