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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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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: field · deal · bulb · present · bound · squash · fine · spring

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. bound — obliged
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fine — high quality
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spring — the season
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spring — of water
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — certain
  16. spring — a coil
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the sport
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. present — a gift
  22. bound — tied together
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. field — farmland

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