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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. bound — certain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. net — in sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. shower — rain
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. chair — a leader

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