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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: bound · game · present · field · rule · toast · stock · last

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. present — a gift
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. present — the time now
  5. bound — tied together
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. last — final
  8. field — for sport
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. rule — government
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. stock — shares
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. field — farmland
  19. toast — bread
  20. present — there
  21. game — wild animals
  22. stock — goods
  23. game — a match
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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