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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: wave · bank · field · bound · pit · chair · firm · drill

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — a company
  4. drill — army training
  5. bank — of a river
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. field — for sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bank — for money
  13. bound — obliged
  14. firm — decided
  15. drill — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — farmland
  22. bound — certain
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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