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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: bound · pit · stock · game · field · ruler · sharp · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. game — wild animals
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a hole
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bound — obliged
  10. stock — shares
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. game — a match
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pit — in a race
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — clever
  22. fork — in a road
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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