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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. present — the time now
  4. mark — a grade
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — help
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bound — obliged
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a ring
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bound — tied together
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bound — certain
  23. hand — in cards
  24. band — a music group

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