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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bound — tied together
  3. game — a match
  4. mark — a trace
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cue — a signal
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cue — for pool
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — of law
  18. board — to get on
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. court — for sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. cue — a hint
  24. mark — a grade

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