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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · cell · content · bound · present · stand

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. bound — certain
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. present — there
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. bound — obliged
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. content — happy
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time 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