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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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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: nail · stick · field · toast · wind · ball · bound · tube

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tube — the underground
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. bound — certain
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. tube — a container
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. field — a subject
  21. toast — bread
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — on a finger

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