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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. rock — a stone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. clip — to cut
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rock — music
  12. capital — a city
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — a video
  15. stock — goods
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stock — shares
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — money

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