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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. season — in sport
  5. bound — certain
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — wild animals
  8. march — the month
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. march — the month
  16. wound — an injury
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. march — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. season — of the year
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — a match

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