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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: stick · key · mark · band · stock · bound · ground · field

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. bound — certain
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stock — shares
  9. ground — a position
  10. bound — obliged
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ground — the earth
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. band — a ring
  15. stock — goods
  16. key — for a lock
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bound — tied together
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. key — in music
  24. stick — to attach or keep 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