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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rock — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. field — farmland
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — a break
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — obliged
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — certain

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