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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: foot · bound · rule · hide · plane · jam · field · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. bound — obliged
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. field — a subject
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. field — farmland
  8. plane — a tool
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rule — a law
  14. foot — a measure
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bound — tied together
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bound — certain
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — for sport

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