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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: jam · key · march · row · stand · field · bound · stem

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. row — to paddle
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. march — music
  5. march — the month
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. row — a line
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. march — the month
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bound — obliged
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. bound — certain
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. field — for sport
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. key — for a lock

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