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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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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. key — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stock — shares
  10. key — for a lock
  11. swing — music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bound — certain
  14. rush — hurry
  15. swing — to play on
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — in golf
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. craft — a handicraft

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