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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: race · bound · kick · craft · field · deal · rash · stock

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. race — humankind
  6. bound — tied together
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stock — goods
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — the arms race
  14. field — farmland
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — a contest
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. field — for sport
  24. stock — shares

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