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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bear — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — farmland
  5. firm — a company
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a great time
  11. firm — steady
  12. field — a subject
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — obliged
  16. firm — decided
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. field — for sport
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bear — the animal
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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