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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: cabinet · sharp · leaves · row · ground · rock · field · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. field — farmland
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. field — a subject
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. sharp — clever
  17. rock — music
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ground — a position
  24. row — a line

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