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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bound — obliged
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fine — all right
  6. bound — certain
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spring — the season
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rush — hurry
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. current — of water
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. spring — of water
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — electric
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ball — a great time
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. current — happening now

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