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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: mark · wind · field · toast · stand · pass · bound · bark

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bound — tied together
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — certain
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mark — a grade
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. mark — a trace
  22. toast — bread
  23. pass — a permit
  24. stand — on your feet

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