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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.

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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: fan · stand · suit · current · field · mine · pound · bound

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. current — of water
  4. bound — tied together
  5. stand — to bear
  6. current — happening now
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — certain
  13. current — electric
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pound — a weight
  19. field — a subject
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mine — for digging
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. suit — in cards

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