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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: pop · band · bound · field · safe · game · ground · bore

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. band — a ring
  3. bound — certain
  4. field — farmland
  5. ground — a position
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — for sport
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bound — obliged
  10. game — a match
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — to visit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. game — wild animals
  15. band — a music group
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bore — to tire
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — soda
  23. ground — the earth
  24. game — a kind of play

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