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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — a line
  7. content — happy
  8. pit — a hole
  9. field — a subject
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. content — the amount
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. field — farmland
  17. bound — certain
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. field — for sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. pit — in a race

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