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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — the fish
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bound — tied together
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — final
  16. bass — low music
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pound — for dogs

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