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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bound — obliged
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bound — certain
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bound — tied together
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — to come down
  16. rush — hurry
  17. drill — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. game — wild animals
  21. land — a country
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. land — ground
  24. drill — a practice

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