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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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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: pitcher · drill · stand · field · bound · branch · rule · race

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. field — for sport
  3. rule — government
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — a division
  8. field — farmland
  9. race — a contest
  10. bound — obliged
  11. race — humankind
  12. rule — a law
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. drill — the tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. race — the arms race
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — tied together
  21. stand — to bear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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