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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: field · present · stick · mate · stand · bound · pit · bowl

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. field — farmland
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bound — obliged
  17. field — for sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bound — certain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. field — a subject
  22. mate — to breed
  23. present — there
  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