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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: present · kid · stock · field · suit · foot · bound · fine

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bound — obliged
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. fine — high quality
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — tied together
  12. kid — to tease
  13. suit — in cards
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. suit — clothes
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bound — certain
  20. fine — all right
  21. present — there
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. foot — a measure
  24. suit — to fit

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