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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: squash · ball · bound · staff · dip · patient · cap · stand

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. cap — a lid
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. staff — a stick
  9. ball — a great time
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. ball — a dance
  13. stand — to bear
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — employees
  18. cap — of ice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — to sink
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — the sport

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