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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: firm · tear · bank · field · nail · bound · pit · foot

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. bound — obliged
  2. bound — certain
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — in a race
  7. field — farmland
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. tear — from crying
  10. firm — decided
  11. pit — a hole
  12. field — for sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. bound — tied together
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. tear — to rip
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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