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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: field · mark · pitcher · bank · row · date · bound · stick

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — tied together
  9. field — a subject
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. field — farmland
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bank — for money
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. date — the fruit

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