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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stand — to bear
  3. drill — a practice
  4. track — a song
  5. key — the most important part
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. date — the fruit
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. board — to get on
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — a committee
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. drill — the tool
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — for a lock
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. bound — certain

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