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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: bound · rule · ball · suit · field · scale · stock · lean

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bound — tied together
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. rule — a law
  9. stock — goods
  10. lean — thin
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — for sport
  13. rule — government
  14. scale — size or range
  15. ball — a dance
  16. suit — in cards
  17. stock — shares
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. scale — in music
  20. suit — to fit
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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