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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: bound · craft · bear · capital · deal · march · board · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. board — to get on
  4. march — the month
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bound — tied together
  7. capital — a city
  8. march — music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. craft — a skill
  12. field — farmland
  13. bound — certain
  14. bear — the animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. march — the month
  18. deal — to handle
  19. board — a committee
  20. bound — obliged
  21. craft — boats
  22. capital — money
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. field — a subject

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