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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. current — electric
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — of water
  9. swing — in golf
  10. scale — in music
  11. firm — a company
  12. field — farmland
  13. current — happening now
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. firm — steady
  19. firm — decided
  20. board — a committee
  21. scale — size or range
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. bound — obliged

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