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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: pass · field · staff · bound · trunk · race · can · content

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. staff — employees
  3. race — the arms race
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bound — tied together
  6. field — a subject
  7. race — a contest
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. race — humankind
  10. content — the amount
  11. pass — a permit
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — employees
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. content — happy
  19. can — a tin
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bound — certain
  22. field — for sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. can — to be able to

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