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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. track — to keep track
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — obliged
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. track — a path
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a music group
  21. deal — to handle
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a ring
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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