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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: stand · bore · date · lean · perch · field · fan · bound

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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 — on your feet
  2. field — a subject
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — farmland
  11. date — the fruit
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lean — thin
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — certain
  20. bore — to drill
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bound — tied together
  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