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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — a company
  4. firm — decided
  5. bound — certain
  6. firm — steady
  7. net — in sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. swing — to play on
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rash — hasty
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. net — for catching
  20. pass — a permit
  21. net — after costs
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — a sick person

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