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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: land · cabinet · present · sharp · bound · stand · bore · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. present — the time now
  5. land — a country
  6. field — for sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — farmland
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. present — there
  16. bound — tied together
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — ground
  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