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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — tied together
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — the time now
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. game — a match
  11. present — there
  12. bound — obliged
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. present — a gift
  21. wake — a trail
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — certain
  24. game — a kind of play

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