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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: pound · bound · nail · stick · field · rush · drill · season

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. season — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — a practice
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — a subject
  12. drill — the tool
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. field — for sport
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bound — tied together
  21. drill — army training
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. season — of the year

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