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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bound — certain
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — for sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bass — the fish
  17. board — to get on
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — tied together
  23. field — farmland
  24. board — a committee

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